By Laura Katauskas | Bugle Staff
sweditor@buglenewspapers.com
@BolingbrookInfo
With the cold winter months upon us, many take to the indoors and the Fountaindale Public Library is inviting residents to come inside for a variety of programming.
Frostbite might keep you from a run, so why not check out a Zumba class at the library. The district has been including exercise programs for a few years, including yoga, Zumba and Conquer Your Core, which are taught by Bolingbrook Park District instructors. Check www.fountaindale.org.
Full STEAM ahead
Incorporating science into the mix, Fountaindale also offers its STEAM program. STEAM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, arts and math, part of a new trend toward injecting creativity into STEM learning, adding the arts. STEM proficiency among students has been a goal among educators for the better part of a decade with federal funding initiatives in place to bolster the study areas of science, technology, engineering and math.
According to an article in the School Library Journal, STEAM has great potential for school and public libraries because it taps into children’s natural interests while also facilitating informal learning. In a public library, STEAM means creating opportunities for children to explore and experiment
The STEAM family events at Fountaindale will be set up in Creativity Park and include several activities and experiments at each station: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. Children and their parents will move from one station to the next.
Recent science experiments included an activity on how to make five pennies float; using microscopes and magnifying glasses to observe autumnal items; and making tissue paper leaves float using static electricity. In technology, patrons were able to use a light table, iPads and LittleBits; the engineering element included a plank construction set; the artistic side sought out sponge paintings; and graphing favorite holiday foods focused on math.
Check out the next STEAM event to be held March 26 as well as the entire week of spring break, April 3-8, which will be dedicated to STEAM.
Online degree
The library district is offering, for a limited time, an opportunity to receive your high school diploma for free.
Bolingbrook residents, age 19 and older, who reside in the Fountaindale Public Library district boundaries are eligible to receive an accredited, limited-time scholarship to Smart Horizons Career Online High School. Fountaindale is currently offering a one-time extension on their enrollment period through March 2016.
“We’re honored to be the first library in Illinois to partner with Career Online High School and Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development to offer these grant-funded scholarships, which have made pursuing a high school diploma possible for district residents who have aged out of the opportunity to enroll in traditional high school programs,” said Catherine Yanikoski, Deputy Director.
“We started this program in October of 2013 with 75 scholarships and have seen consistent hard work and efforts by those who have been awarded scholarships. We look forward to awarding diplomas at a graduation in the near future!”