STEM learning has officially taken over the entire block at Mark Twain Elementary School in Oklahoma City! Last month in partnership with over 100 volunteers from Home Depot and Devon Energy, the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation created a mobile STEM Center for the elementary school, converted the adjacent Engage Learning building into a maker space, and put the finishing touches on another STEM Center at the brand new neighboring Kiwanis Community Center.
STEM is short for science, technology, engineering and mathematics and provides a hands on experimental learning environment for kids. Oklahoma-based nonprofit Engage Learning will now run a maker space in between the two completed Ripken Foundation STEM Centers at Mark Twain Elementary and the Kiwanis Center. The maker space will serve as a center for applied STEM learning, and will be equipped with a laser cutter and other tools for kids to bring their ideas to life. Executive Director Bart Keeton said, “I think the impact will be pretty profound.”
As a new program coordinator for the Ripken Foundation, I witnessed a drastic transformation in just one day. It was very inspiring and reminded me of how powerful people can be when they join together for a good cause. These new Ripken Foundation STEM Centers will provide kids with spaces where they can create, learn, and develop for many years to come. We are looking forward to seeing the impact these centers will have for the youth in Oklahoma City. If you are interested in learning more about STEM, visit the program section of our website.