AzLA 2022 Pre-Conference, Full Day

STEM Learning Ecosystems with Kal Mannis

This workshop will help you to see where your library can support your local Learning Ecosystem. You don't  have to lead it, but being a site partner can open doors for both your patrons and regional and national programs that need a local champion. We will be sharing national and statewide contacts; programs to support life long learners and classroom teachers; and pathways to find people in your neighborhood to help support STEM programs. 

Context is everything. We will hear from education outreach organizers with AZ Association of Conservation Districts, Code.org, SciTech Institute, the Arizona Science Center, AZ Game & Fish, AZ State University's School of Earth & Space Exploration, and Local First Arizona. All will talk about programs that can be integrated into library programs.

Join us with expectations to become part of your larger community and leave with a working strategy on how to be part of a STEM Learning Ecosystem.

We will also explore some STEM program training available for your staff. This section will also include the initial roll out of an early childhood STEM kit set developed by the ASU Center for Informal Learning, NISENet, and the AZ Science Center with funding by NASA. Additional materials to show and play with include Kits for the Mission to Mars project (NASA), books by Project WILD, and community science with GLOBE. Attendees will be entered into a raffle for the early childhood kit set and training, the Mission to Mars kit set and training, and a set of Project WILD books.

This will be an active class with planning discussions with peers and mentors on developing, getting involved with, or adapting an existing learning Ecosystem towards STEM, as well as hands on/minds on work with several AZ STEM programs.