Our first experiences at the KID Museum were due to the Toy 2.0 Challenge (for more info on the Toy 2.0 Challenge, click here: Toy 2.0 Challenge), which in turn, we heard about when we were at the 2015 VEX World Championship in Louisville, Kentucky. When we first entered the Museum, we were surprised at what we saw! There were lots of different activities going on in different "stations", which were tables located throughout the room. There was a wood shop, a 3D printing room, a station for easy drag-and-drop programming, an electronics station, and so much more for little kids! It made us so happy to see so many children enjoying themselves and having fun at the Museum because it meant that these kids were being introduced to and had an interest in STEM learning! It's so important to both of us that the younger generations get first hand experience to the wonders of STEM at such an early age so that as they grow older, they can aspire to go into a profession that uses STEM skills, such as engineers, scientists, astronauts, doctors, and so many other doors. These young inventors were going to be the people who would pave a way forward for the world's future and KID Museum was contributing a part in it by granting kids access to a variety of technological materials and tools.
Needless to say, after the Toy 2.0 Challenge was done, the KID Museum founder and executive, Cara Lesser, invited us to be a part of the KID Museum family as apprentices.
What is a KID Museum Apprentice?
The KID's Museum Apprentice's were a group of kids, usually aging from 13 to 18, that helped out with KID Museum activities during the day, and helped clean up after hours. Typically the start of our day would be around 9 am in the morning before the KID's Museum was scheduled to open at 10. For the first hour we would set up all the activities, be assigned a station, and make sure everything was in proper working condition. After that, the KID's Museum doors were open for business! For the next seven hours we would instruct kids in how to participate in our assigned station, help anyone in any way we could, and make sure that these small inventors left KID's Museum knowing just a little bit more than what they came in with. When the door's closed at 5 pm in the afternoon, all the apprentices worked together to clean up the Museum and make sure everything was put back into it's proper place. All in a good days work of a KID's Museum Apprentice! We were very lucky to have this opportunity. Not only were we able to get an amazing learning experience, but we were also able to complete our social service hours at the same time.
If you would like to learn more about the KIDS museum, here's a link to their website!!!