PHOTOS: Local School Districts Collaborate to Advance STEAM Programs

Earlier this month, on March 7th, Hartman Intermediate School’s Arts and Bots Club, part of the Ellwood City Area School District, traveled to Mohawk Elementary to showcase their robotic Dr. Seuss characters and to assist in starting an Arts and Bots Club at Mohawk School District.

The Hartman Arts and Bots Club, consisting of twenty 5th and 6th grade students, is under the direction of Alan Marsh, Elementary Art teacher, Scott Setzenfand, STEAM Facilitator, and Matt Skoczylas, Elementary Technology teacher.

The Hartman club met on Wednesdays after school for 4 weeks and once during the school day to create Dr. Seuss characters using cardboard and other leftover/recycled materials. The robots were programmed using BirdBrain Technologies’ Hummingbird Kit, a microcontroller that uses LED lights, servos and motors to make the robots come alive.

The Mohawk Arts and Bots Club is under the direction of Corey Best and Jamilyn Maiorano, both second grade teachers. The Mohawk Club includes ten 6th grade students and also plans to meet Wednesdays after school to create springtime themed robots. While at Mohawk, the Hartman Arts and Bots Club teamed up with the Mohawk club to help them plan their robots, as well as demonstrate how to code the robots using the Hummingbird Kit and the computer program Scratch.

Mr. Brad Meehan, Elementary Mohawk principal, thanked all the teachers involved for their collaboration stating, “It takes a lot of time and effort to successfully have events like today.”

Special guest, Mr. Mike Leitera, Mohawk Superintendent also concurred, “I know the kids loved the afternoon, and the spirit of teacher collaboration from the Lawrence County EdCamp is going strong.”

This is the 5th after school club for the Hartman Intermediate Arts and Bots Club. In the past, students created a robotic petting zoo, robotic dinosaurs, robotic animals from the picture book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do See? and robotic penguins.

Teachers in both districts look forward to collaborating on other events like this one, and hope to include other Lawrence County Elementary Schools in the Arts and Bots Program.