STEAM is a new club for children
Khadija Jolly, left, Maysen Nussbaum and Jackson Drummond enjoy the new STEAM Club at the Salvation Army in Wooster. The club meets on Mondays.
The Wooster Corps of the Salvation Army has added a new segment to its collection of Family Life Center offerings. STEAM is a new club for area children grade k-12. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math.
Wooster Corps Lt. Ashley Ferrell said the STEAM Club is brand new this year. “We just started it this February,” she said. “They are meeting every Monday. The program is broken up into six-week sessions. Kids can participate in one session or as many as they like.”
STEAM gets kids involved in several immersive learning experiences. There are reactive science experiments, computer coding and educational games, Ferrell explained, but there is a lot of crossover. “Art can be a form of science of course, and computers cover most other segments in some way. STEAM brings together many areas that touch on each other, and it can be a lot more fun than stationary desk learning,” she said.
Ferrell said there are 12 children participating in the STEAM Club at the moment with room initially for 15. “We will certainly expand it if we find a really big demand,” she said.
The near-capacity engagement so early in the program is somewhat remarkable given the word-of-mouth way in which the club was announced. “We haven’t made any major announcements about it yet. Once we get some time behind us in doing the STEAM Club, probably at spring break, we’ll take stock and then reach out to the schools more directly,” Ferrell said.
There is no separate fee to participate in STEAM Club, but it is under the umbrella of the Wooster Corp of the Salvation Army’s Family Life Center program, all of which is covered by a single $10 fee. The corp offers numerous programs for area residents of every age.
“We’re moving more toward block programming of our community outreach offerings,” Ferrell said. “Schools have after-school programs in place, and what we do helps supplement that with further educational components.”
Though STEAM is in its early days, Ferrell said it has met with support in the community. “We’ve heard a lot of good feedback.”
Other programs included with the Family Life Center membership include programming for seniors, a twice-weekly program for adults that Ferrell said has proven very popular, and tutoring and life skills classes separated by age and gender.
“We also have a music component for young people that has been very successful,” Ferrell said. “Kids can learn three different musical skills, whether that’s drums or guitar or whatever. There are also dance and ballet classes available.”
A martial arts class also is offered at an additional $25 fee.
Ferrell said registration for all programs offered at the Salvation Army Wooster Corps is simple. “You can just stop in, and the forms are very simple. You can register and get started the same day, right away, or you can check out a class you might be interested in for a session before registering,” she said.
All of the programs are open to the community. The Salvation Army building is at 437 S. Market St. in Wooster. Find them on Facebook by searching Wooster Salvation Army. The website is at neo.salvationarmy.org/northeastohio/woosterhome. For more information call 330-264-4704.