LEGOS & LEARNING. While this school year’s LEGO Spike Clubs programming has ended, the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire already has a waiting list for when club starts up again in a few months. (Submitted photos)
Colorful LEGO plastic bricks. They aren’t just kids’ toys anymore.
First, second, and third graders at Flynn and Sam Davey Elementary Schools in Eau Claire got hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) training free of charge through the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire’s LEGO Spike Clubs – and the reaction from kids was wildly positive.
The engaging clubs, which are limited to 15 students each, meet twice a week for hour-and-a-half sessions, over six weeks. Katie Julsrud, STEAM education and outreach manager at the museum, and two to three educational assistants, staff the clubs, held after the regular school day.
During the LEGO Spike Essentials program, young learners use kits of colorful LEGO building elements, easy-to-use hardware, and intuitive drag-and-drop software to explore coding, robot building, and how to think like an engineer. The kits make it easy to get started with all the above, and students can work together and have fun while developing computational thinking skills; They can test, tweak, debug, and optimize what they design.
The clubs are popular, judging by the wait lists – nine students at Flynn and 17 at Sam Davey are waiting for their turn, once the programs return next school year. Student feedback has been super positive, the museum sharing the following quotes from kids: “I love this infinity percent” and “I want to do this every day!”; “Do we have to clean up now? I REALLY want to keep building.”
Likewise, educators at each school have expressed their enthusiasm for the programming. One told the museum, “I have seen learners that struggle during the school day have so much confidence and be able to stick to a long project – it is so great to see them have success at school.” Another educator said, “We are ready to book this program again for next year.”
Julsrud has seen growth among the students first-hand. “ Through these clubs, the students gain confidence in their abilities,” she shared in a recent media release. “We’re optimistic about expanding this program to other school districts soon.”
Both the LEGO Spike Club and LEGO Spike Essentials kits are made possible through grant funding awarded by The Pablo Foundation and The Lippert Foundation.
Learn more about The Children’s Museum of Eau Claire (126 N. Barstow St.) online • Find more information about The Pablo Foundation and The Lippert Foundation online
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