When I’m not causing trouble on Village 14, I’m off coaching on the LigerBots, Newton’s FIRST Robotics Competition team. As you can probably imagine, this year has been a bit odd, but it’s also been incredibly inspiring as a coach. The teens have stepped up and started offering multiple youth programs aimed at elementary school kids. We have two open now that may be of interest to students and parents.
First, our Awesome Mentorship Program (AMP) pairs elementary school students with high schoolers and it’s starting the spring session! The mentors and mentees meet online weekly to explore a wide variety of subjects, from programming to the arts to grammar and English. In addition to teaching, mentors and mentees can play games, be reading buddies, and do crafts, or just hang out. It’s a way for kids to connect with older kids. Interested parents can sign their child(ren) up using an online registration form. If you have questions, email the LigerBots with questions at [email protected].
But wait, there’s more! The team will be hosting an online Scratch hackathon for students grades 4-8 on April 3, 2021, from 1 pm-5 pm. Programmers of all levels can compete in teams of 2-4 to code the best animation in Scratch. There will be workshops in the first half of the event, so if your child has no experience with Scratch here’s a chance to learn! There will be prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Register online (note that it is an entirely separate registration from the AMP program), or email [email protected] with any questions.
