The children, tweens and teens of the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach have been fully immersed in the wonders of technology of late.
A new innovation lab has been the source, providing the club’s members with a slew of new items to pique their curiosity. The club has added five computers and four iPads to its amenities. It also purchased a projector and 11 monitors.
Cox Communications provided a grant of $20,000 to transform a first-floor facility room. The ribbon-cutting for the upgrades took place on October 4.
“We are incredibly grateful for Cox Communications’ investment in our young people’s lives and futures through this revitalized innovation lab,” Pam Estes, chief executive of the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach, said in a statement. “We are excited to be able to inspire and encourage the next generation of innovators in this cutting-edge STEAM space to develop the critical thinking skills and creativity to solve unforeseen challenges that the future will hold.”
Sue Kempf, Laguna Beach’s Mayor Pro-Tem, addresses club members on October 4, during a ceremony to cut the ribbon for the Cox Innovation Lab. Pam Estes, chief executive of the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach, is off to the right.
(Courtesy of Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach)
In addition to 3D printing, the space also includes a microscope and a video-production suite. Five Sphero robots have been added to the space for coding.
“We’re committed to supporting STEM opportunities for children so they can stay connected, live, learn and pursue careers in our increasingly digital world,” Colleen Dillaway, Orange County market vice president of Cox Communications, stated in a news release. “Cox Innovation Labs allow students to access exciting tools to advance their tech-literacy skills and explore unknown possibilities.”
Kelsi Briggs, the club’s program director, said the room underwent a complete refurbishment. Whiteboard tables were installed on the tops of the tables to allow children to do their homework. Cabinets for storage and a repainted room completed the refurbishment.
“We’ve had kids come in who will just stare at the 3D printer that’s already printing something,” Briggs said in a phone interview Thursday. “They’re just so amazed by it, and they want to know, ‘How did you do that?’ Then our education director will invite them to come to 3D printing to see how it’s done.
“It’s opened the door for so many other kids who weren’t exposed to coding or technology-based anything before, and now they’re wanting to come in, and now they’re learning about it.”
An instructor reviews a club member’s work in the Cox Innovation Lab at the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach.
(Courtesy of Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach)
