Grant to expand library programming

Washington-Centerville Public Library in southern Montgomery County was recently awarded almost $10,000 in a federal grant to expand STEM-related programming. The grant, overseen and awarded by the State Library of Ohio, will be used to purchase equipment and supplies, along with staff training, for the purpose of providing maker-related hands-on programs for a wide variety of ages.

The library will spend the next few months purchasing seven dedicated kits and training employees on their use, with a targeted public launch of maker-related programming to begin this summer. Some of the activities may be family-oriented with adult supervision to ensure safety, but other equipment will be suitable for children as young as six years of age. Using tools from the kits, class participants will create objects, learn about the fundamentals of circuitry, experiment with robotics, and more. By having maker program kits that are portable, the hands-on sessions will be offered at both library locations making the programs easily accessible to the entire community.

The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) grant, funded by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), was awarded to the Library in early January. The new Maker program kits will complement the Library’s current collection of Maker Kits that are available for patron checkout.

For more information on Washington-Centerville Public Library Maker offerings, visit wclibrary. info/education/#makerkits.