Author Archives: Jessica

Check out the article below on Sarasota County Libraries S.T.E.A.M. & S.T.E.M Programs!

S.T.E.M, or Science, Technology, Engineering and Math has emerged as the primary education focus for the state and nation and the effort to prepare students for good paying technology sector jobs while those who want to emphasize a broader student foundation are adding the arts, or S.T.E.A.M. Sarasota County Libraries covered them both this year as the Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Public Library conducted teen programs for S.T.E.M. for girls, “Girls, Gadgetry, and Galvanizing Genius” and the North Sarasota Library offered a “S.T.E.A.M. Trivia Competition.

S.T.E.A.M. at North Sarasota Library
North Sarasota’s S.T.E.A.M. Trivia Competition took place on March 28 with teams competing from around the county. The questions were presented in PowerPoint and the teams had the time it takes for 1 pop song to play to submit their written answers to the Trivia Leader. The participating teams enjoyed donated pizza and the winners received Amazon gift cards.

The event was a project of the library’s Teen Advisory Board. It started small this year and the library intends to expand it next fall.

The North Sarasota Library’s project shows how libraries can get into the act and support students as they prepare themselves for success in school, college, and careers.

Take a look at the program poster by clicking here! For additional information, contact Arlen Benson at (941) 861-1353 or abensen@scgov.net.

… oh, and the answer to the question? – It’s the quadratic equation!

S.T.E.M & “Girls, Gadgetry, and Galvanizing Genius” at Bourne / Jacaranda

The program held on November 17th provided experiences that exposed girls ages 9 – 12 representing 13 schools to S.T.E.M. demonstrations including:

• Green Science – “Butterflies, Beetles and Bugs, Oh My” asked participants to count insects in Petri dishes under magnifiers
• Technology – “Wearable Light” demonstrated how to incorporate LED lights in clothing
• Engineering – Participants build a “Lego Balloon Car”
• Math – “Chances Are” used a large set of dice to help participants understand probability

The project was a partnership involving the Venice Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the Venice Public Library, as well as the Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Public Library.

This project also notably addresses the growing awareness that girls need to be exposed to S.T.E.M. opportunities and not just boys.

Click here to find the Bourne / Jacaranda flyer and learn more about S.T.E.M. and Sarasota County’s broad community based effort to advance it at STEMSMART.

For addition information, contact Sheila Kaufer, Youth Services Librarian, Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Public Library, (941) 861-1276 or skaufer@scgov.net .

S.T.E.M. and S.T.E.A.M.! – Sarasota’s got it going on!