There are many ways to get your children involved in STEM-related activities this September.
September 3,10,17,24: Create rich and exciting games with Kodu Game Lab at the Microsoft Store in Natick. Free. (Ages 8-11)
September 3,4,10,11,17,18,24,25: Hands-on engineering and design at the MIT Museum in Cambridge. Free with Museum admission. (Ages 12+)
September 4,11,18,25: CodeCampKidz is sponsoring “an introduction to coding apps” class that will take kids with NO experience and and work toward building skills and self-confidence by enabling them to create their own basic app pages with text, graphics, videos, and more at the Microsoft Store in Natick. Free. Kids should bring their laptops and earbuds. (Middle school)
September (various dates): Attend a Minecraft Build Challenge workshop at the Microsoft Store in Boston and Natick. Free.
September 6: Explore the Lego Mindstorm Kits and learn how to build and program a robot at the Mattapan branch of the Boston Public Library.
September 7,14,21,28: CodeCampKidz is sponsoring “an introduction to coding apps” class that will take kids with NO experience and and work toward building skills and self-confidence by enabling them to create their own basic app pages with text, graphics, videos, and more at the Newton Free Library. (Grades 6-7)
September 7,14,21,28: Participate in a four-part series designed to empower students with critical organizational and technology skills to do more in school and life with a focus on developing a fundraising campaign for a social good project of their choosing at Microsoft Stores in Boston, Natick and Burlington. Free. (Beginner- Ages 13-16)
September 8,15,22,29: Learn how to use PicsArt, an interactive editing, drawing, and collage app and transform photos into works of art with just the tip of your finger at the Microsoft Store in Natick. Free. (Ages 13+)
September (various dates): Participate in a four-part series designed to empower students with critical organizational and technology skills to do more in school and life with a focus on developing a fundraising campaign for a social good project of their choosing at Microsoft Stores in Boston and Natick. Free. (Intermediate- Ages 17+)
September 10: Intro to 3D Modeling Workshop at the HATCH in Watertown. (Ages 8-13)
September 15: Join the littleBits DIY club and use electronic building blocks to create things at the Newton Free Library. (Ages 9-12).
September 17: Free hackathon for high school students at Lexington High School. Register now!
September 12,19,26: Put on a lab coat and enter the Maker Lab at the Worcester Public Library. (Ages 9-12)
September 20: Explore LEGO WeDo robotics at the Belmont Public Library. (Grades 2-4)
September 22: Explore math, science, and the arts with children’s books and related activities at the Newton Free Library. (Ages 3-5)
September 22: Build models and then program them to move and react with LEGO WeDo at the Newton Free Library. (Ages 7-10)
September 22: Join the Teen Tinker Club and learn how to use computer programming to code finch robots at the Newton Free Library. (Grades 6-12)
September 24:Visit the first ever Maker Expo from HATCH and see maker activities, demonstrations of equipment, and exhibits from skill mentors and local makers at the Watertown Free Public Library. (All ages).
September 26: Build your own robot with KIBO, program it to do what you want, and decorate it at the Newton Free Library. (Ages 5-6)
September 29: Print your choice of a popular Minecraft character’s head on the 3D printer & make it into a keychain at the Morse Institute Library. (Ages 11-18)
Girls Who Code Clubs
The Girls Who Code Clubs Program teaches computer science to 6th-12th grade girls. Girls who participate in the clubs will receive 40 hours of instruction from volunteer instructors in computer science including project based activities to reinforce concepts like conditionals, lists, and loops as well as skills like mobile app development.
Girls Who Code clubs are free and many are held at libraries and schools around Massachusetts and New Hampshire. With the growth of the clubs, I am now including a list of the clubs here. If you are interested in information about a club, please contact the Club site directly.
- Acton Boxborough Regional High School: Acton, MA
- Bedford Free Public Library: 7 Mudge Way, Bedford, MA
- Bellesini Academy: 94 Bradford St., Lawrence, MA
- Belmont Public Library: 336 Concord Ave, Belmont, MA
- Boston Latin School: 78 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA
- Boston Public Library- Teen Central: 700 Boylston St., Boston, MA
- Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua: 1 Positive Place, Nashua, NH
- Brookview House: 2 Brookview St., Dorchester, MA
- Cambridge Public Library (2 sessions): 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA
- Carlisle Public School: 83 School St., Carlisle, MA
- Dudley Middle School: 70 Dudley-Oxford Road, Dudley, MA
- Endicott College: 376 Hale St., Beverly, MA
- Everett High School: 100 Elm St., Everett, MA
- Goodnow Library: 21 Concord Road, Sudbury, MA
- LEAP for Education, Inc.: 209 Essex St., Salem, MA
- Lexington Christian Academy: 48 Bartlett Ave., Lexington, MA
- Mario Umana Academy: 312 Border St., East Boston, MA
- Memorial Hall Library: 2 North Main St., Andover, MA
- McKay K-8 School: 122 Cottage St., Boston, MA
- M.G. Parker Memorial Library: 28 Arlington St., Dracut, MA
- Nathaniel Bowditch School (K-8): 79 Wilson St., Salem, MA
- Needham High School: 609 Webster St., Needham, MA
- Newton Free Library (2 sessions): 330 Homer St., Newton, MA
- Northeastern University: 440 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA
- Paul Pratt Memorial Library: 35 Ripley Road, Cohasset, MA
- Peabody Institute Library: 82 Main St., Peabody, MA
- Pembroke Public Library: 142 Center St., Pembroke, MA
- Penn Brook Elementary School: 68 Elm St., Georgetown, MA
- Public Library of Brookline (2 sessions): 361 Washington St., Brookline, MA
- Rodgers Memorial Library: 194 Derry Road, Hudson, NH
- Robbins Library: 700 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, MA
- Seekonk Public Library: 410 Newman Ave., Seekonk, MA
- The Founders Academy Public Charter School: 5 Perimeter Road, Manchester, NH
- The Rivers School: 333 Winter St., Weston, MA
- Waltham Public Library: 735 Main St., Waltham, MA
- Watertown Free Public Library: 123 Main St., Watertown, MA
- Wayland Free Public Library: 5 Concord Road, Wayland, MA
- Wellesley Free Library: 530 Washington St., Wellesley, MA
Image: Stephen Chin
