As students across the area get into the groove of fall classes, young minds are winding their way through new skills, fresh ideas, and renewed interests. Northland Pioneer College (NPC) is excited to offer tools to assist in that learning process.
NPC is providing free STEM kits to area schools and homes through a new STEM Experience checkout program geared for students in grades 1 to 8. The program offers innovative ways for students to work on hands-on projects and learn subjects such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. “The kits provide teachers and parents with fun, engaging projects they can use in the home or classroom without having to purchase costly materials,” said NPC Community and Corporate Learning specialist, Melissa Willis. “The kits are easy to follow and make subjects like science and engineering fun and accessible.”
Each kit contains the curriculum, activity guides, and materials needed for group-based, interactive STEM exploration. The materials align with Arizona State Science Standards and Common Core ELA Standards to seamlessly link to classroom curriculum. Most of the kits are designed for up to 25 students and can be checked out in multiple sets if needed.
“With fun activities ranging from exploring how fungus grows, building and launching rockets, investigating the biology of taste, designing and erecting legendary world structures with Keva Planks, assessing water quality, and learning how to track animals, there is something for everyone,” Willis said.
NPC’s STEM Experience initiative started as a collaboration with the Navajo County Superintendent’s Office to help increase student participation in regional science fairs. The program has now expanded to include homeschooled environments in addition to traditional classrooms with a portable kit checkout option. After-school programs, camps, co-ops, and clubs are welcome to participate in the program as well.
The STEM Experience kits can be checked out for up to 2 weeks at a time from Northland Pioneer College’s Silver Creek Campus, located at 1611 S. Main Street in Snowflake, AZ. To request a kit and to investigate the variety of kit options, visit www.npc.edu/stem-kits. For more information on the STEM Experience program, contact NPC Community and Corporate Learning at (928) 532-6712 or email CCL@npc.edu.
