Thanks to a grant from the Ripken Foundation, the Newton Street Community Center in Salisbury, MD has opened a new STEM Center.
The Salisbury Community Relations Manager, Rachel Manning, was made aware of the opportunities the Ripken Foundation can provide through their partnership with the Truitt Street Boys & Girls Club. "They had an initiative to put these STEM Centers all over Maryland," said Manning. "So, we applied and were accepted for on of their sites."
Each Ripken STEM Center comes fully-equipped with the latest STEM education tools and technology, Ripken Foundation curricula, and furniture. The Newton Street Community Center hosts afterschool and summer programs for local youth, but this new lab allows them to expand those programs to the greater Salisbury community. Roughly 15 students part of the afterschool program have already started utilizing the lab. "They get to use different parts of their brain instead of sitting there and being on the computer," said Manning. "They get to learn in a different way, which they just thrive on."
Salisbury Councilwoman Michele Gregory spoke about the importance of early STEM education and providing youth with the tools to learn and grow. "A lot of kids don't have access to these materials and things like that," said Gregory. "I think it's incredibly important for these kids to get exposed to this. This is the future that they are going to be dealing with in the workforce, and it will give them opportunities and skills they can use later on. And not to mention, it's just plain fun."
Salisbury Councilwoman Sharon Dashiell echoed this sentiment, highlighting the need for more programs like this. "It's a great use of space," said Dashiell. "It's a warm and friendly environment and safe for these children. Rachel has done a remarkable job, and it couldn't have been done without the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation."
Read more about this partnership in an article by Bay to Bay News here. To learn more about our STEM Center initiative, click here.