Local students have the chance to learn more about STEM and robotics as part of a back to school event.
Foundation For Youth’s Prevention Initiatives, Sans Souci, and the Lincoln Central Neighborhood Family Center (LCNFC) are holding a “Back to School Palooza” at Ninth Street Park tonight from 5 to 7 p.m.
Gayatri Adi, a mentor with Columbus Robotics, said that students and mentors from the group will be at the event to demonstrate a couple of their bots and host STEM stations where kids will be able to make light-up greeting cards and optical toys.
According to organizers, the Back to School Palooza also includes giveaways, such as free STEM kits, lunchboxes, bikes, clothes and ice cream.
Adi said that Columbus Robotics President Sam Geckler had previously expressed a desire to host an event at the park — such as having a robot shoot hoops on the basketball court — as a way to engage kids from “our immediate neighborhood,” since the group’s workshop is located just a quarter-mile south of the park.
“We had to cut back some of our in-person outreach activities during the pandemic, but as the restrictions eased and numbers got better, I got in touch with the Parks &Rec department to consult on hosting such an event,” said Adi, who organized Columbus’ Robotics involvement with the palooza. “They suggested working with LCNFC, and we’ve been brainstorming ideas for how we could work together to raise more STEM interest in the community. They invited us to participate in this event and in the future we’re also hoping to collaborate to bring a STEM event or two at the Ashford apartments.”
“I’ve been wanting to make an impact on ‘our neighborhood’ for too long,” said Geckler. “Hopefully this is just a start. They seem like they need us.”
