What happens when you combine a $40,000 grant and an elementary school staff dedicated to giving students a hands-on experience with STEM? You end up with Valley Oaks Elementary School’s brand new Makerspace.
The goal of the Makerspace is to give kids hands-on experience with the lessons they are learning in class and allow them to make connections across subjects.
“The kids are going to learn so much,” said Valley Oaks teacher Trish Nelson, who has headed the effort to create the Makerspace. “It makes learning how to read and do math all the more relevant.”
“It makes sense,” agreed Principal David Nelson. “It makes sense when they make things, the importance of knowing how to read and the mathematical concepts. It’s all put together here in the Makerspace.”
Equipped with materials ranging from cardboard and wood to…
