Boys & Girls Club-St Char MO - STEAMbotics Academy

Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County STEAMbotics Academy has the interest of many children who have a strong and inquisitive desire to explore their future through STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art. Math)  It is well understood in the next few years, 80% and more employment positions will be related to STEAM. We must prepare our children for a gainful future and being involved in the Boys & Girls Club programs is where a GREAT Future will begin.

STEAM programs help drive academic success for youth in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math fields, while uniquely positioning them to make a difference in the future workforce.  Each lesson aims to promote engagement in one or more of the specific fields.  In the program, participants complete hands-on experiments and activities in multi-stage projects alongside staff and mentors, covering topics across multiple learning fields. 

Since over 60% of the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County members are "at risk" and live in or below the national poverty level, the Club has seized the opportunity to provide the children with knowledge and the necessary equipment to physically build robots and experiment with computer coding and all facets of the STEAM program. The children are taught to do research as well as make presentations.  The newly formed classes have competed in local Robotics competition giving the children the opportunity to be exposed to some very unique opportunities and desire to set and reach higher goals.  

Although our local schools provide STEAM related classes there is not enough time available during the school day to provide the individual attention that is often required to complete a project.  Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County members are involved in a task from beginning to end. 

The Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County STEAMbotics Academy is in its infancy but has a bright future enabling more children to look for a rewarding future and be welcomed into the workforce.  The Clubs fully understands the importance of reaching out to the children in the community and this very important opportunity.  

The Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County has eagerly stepped into the STEAM World by organizing the group and naming it STEAMbotics Academy.  The project has begun with building of robots.  Kits have been purchased and donated creating a great interest in the program.  Children are eager to join and participate in the many facets of the program.  It is not only building a robot but it is research, writing the program, designing the fields, presentation and working together.  This program has created and developed outstanding core values which they learn and live by.  The Core Values are as follows:  1) We are a team.  2) We do the work to find solutions with guidance from our coaches and mentors.  3) We know our coaches and mentors do not have all the answers; we learn together.  4) We honor the spirit of friendly competition.  5) What we discover is more important than what we win.  6) We share our experiences with others. 7) We display Gracious Professionalism and Coopertition in everything we do.  8) We have fun.  

The program provided the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County with its first competition.  The class did not win but they learned a lot about presentation and friendly competition.  Most of our children are not given the opportunity to learn and experience the STEAM world.  The program at the Boys & Girls Club allows the children to have a more hands on experience and more time spent that when in the school classroom.  It is extremely important that our young children be exposed to as much STEAM activities as possible due to the fact that within the next few years over 80% of all jobs will be STEAM related.  It is imperative that our children be informed and become aware of their future careers.  The goal of the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County is to help all children reach academic success, love a healthy lifestyle and become a good citizen and of good character in order to plan for a gainful future.