Walking into Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County’s Portage Club’s Computer Lab on Jan. 19, 2016, one might have wondered what was taking place. The Club’s Computer Lab floor was transformed into a large grid complete with construction cones and objects placed strategically in various places on the grid. What actually was taking place was the blending of technology and critical thinking of young Club members and ArcelorMittal employee volunteers!
ArcelorMittal has supported the Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County’s STEM Great Think initiative since 2014. The purpose of Boys & Girls Clubs STEM Great Think was to develop a plan for establishing strategic partnerships that advance STEM education in the out-of-school time space. The idea is to engage youth in STEM disciplines that will set them on the path to successful careers, including those offered by local manufacturers such as ArcelorMittal.
ArcelorMittal employees volunteered their time by participating in an Hour of Code with Club members. A grid on the Club’s Computer Lab floor served as an obstacle course that Club members and ArcelorMittal employees had to solve through a series of commands that progressed them through the course. Volunteers and children worked together to analyze the course and bypass obstacles that may have hindered their completion. Other activities also took place, as Club members and ArcelorMittal volunteers worked together on computers to solve other coding puzzles. The evening culminated with all working on LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Robots, programming their every move to complete various tasks.
“The STEM activities night at the Boys & Girls Club was a great way to interact with kids and pass onto them skills that I use on a daily basis,” said Divya Gopal, engineer, process automation, ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor. “A lot of what we use in our day-to-day life is impacted by technology. STEM education helps us understand how we got to where we are today and provides us with tools to create the unimaginable for our future.”
Research has shown that the out-of-school environment – after school and summer – advances STEM knowledge and increases interest in STEM-related careers. Therefore, out-of-school providers have an opportunity to help close the “opportunity gap” that prevents youth from reaching their potential in fast-growing STEM fields. The national Boys & Girls Clubs of America organization has called to action its Club affiliates from across the nation to provide STEM programming in this out-of-school time.
“Currently, there is a shortage of both interested and adequately prepared K-12 students in STEM subjects, especially among minority youth and young women. Yet, STEM jobs in the United States are expected to grow nearly twice as fast as other fields by 2018. Our Clubs are grateful to be working with partners, like ArcelorMittal, to provide youth with STEM-related opportunities that they might not have the chance to explore otherwise,” states Ryan Smiley, president of Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County.
In addition to participating in STEM related activities, other ArcelorMittal employees visited the South Haven Club and helped tutor Club members in their math and reading homework.