Community News

AMAZON DONATION OF LEGO KITS BOOSTS STEM LEARNING

MIKE PEARSON mpearson@ hamiltonnews.com

Students at Viola Desmond Elementary School are getting a head start on their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning, thanks to Amazon Canada, FIRST Robotics and the LEGO Group.

On Sept. 13, the school received a special delivery of LEGO sets from Amazon, valued at $5,000 to support STEM education at the kindergarten to Grade 8 school. Viola Desmond was one of four Canadian schools to receive donations totalling more than $20,000 in STEM learning materials through the initiative.

Amazon Canada employees teamed up with FIRST Robotics, an organization focused on engaging youth in mentor-based programs to build STEM skills, and the LEGO Group, to organize surprise deliveries to the four schools.

Viola Desmond principal Tina Morabito said the school is aiming to start STEM-type education at kindergarten.

"By the time (students) reach Grade 8 they are so familiar with coding, with robotics, and we really want to prepare them for careers in those fields," Morabito noted.

In addition to

$5,000 worth of LEGO kits donated by Amazon Canada, the LEGO Group donated an additional 150 kits for the kindergarten students at Viola Desmond, valued at approximately $100 each, Morabito noted.

Viola Desmond is entering its second academic year and the first year with no COVID-19 restrictions. It's also been identified as a high-priority school, serving a diverse student population and pupils from lower income households.

"We require lots of supports and having an opportunity like this is going to ensure that every student has that opportunity, especially our underserved students," Morabito noted.

The school is forming a STEM committee with teachers from the kindergarten, primary, junior and intermediate divisions, to determine the best way to roll out the new items. The materials will be used both in classroom curriculum and in extracurricular activities, including a new robotics club for intermediate students.

"We are named after Viola Desmond and we're all about removing barriers for our underserved populations," said Morabito, referencing the Canadian civil rights leader the school is named for. "We are so excited because this is an opportunity to provide that. We can eliminate the barriers to access the products and technology for the students because they are very costly. We can start with this and hopefully build on it each year."

Morabito credited Phil Homerski, of FIRST Robotics, for reaching out to Amazon Canada to secure a larger donation of STEM products for the school.

"At Amazon, we aim to inspire, educate and prepare youth for careers rooted in innovation, and understand the continuously growing value of skills across science, technology, engineering and mathematics," said Mikhail Clarkson, general manager, Amazon Logistics in a news release. "We believe in continued support from childhood-to-career and are committed to providing STEM education opportunities to the communities we serve."

"STEM education at an early age imparts life skills in students as it teaches them to think critically, be resilient in the face of adversity and keep troubleshooting until they succeed," said Dave Ellis, president of FIRST Robotics Canada in the news release. "Amazon's donation will make a huge impact on ensuring STEM education continues to advance as Canadian families and schools face financial hardships coming out of the pandemic."

Viola Desmond Elementary School has about 760 students enrolled, Morabito noted. The Secord Drive school replaced the former Sir Isaac Brock, Glen Echo and Glen Brae schools and includes some redistributed enrolment from Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Elizabeth Bagshaw elementary schools.

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2022-09-29T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-09-29T07:00:00.0000000Z

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