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Invention Studio STEAM Showcase

By May 17, 2017May 18th, 2017No Comments

Watch these amazing student-made documentaries about Parkland Middle School at KID’s Invention Studio.

KID Museum’s Invention Studio program leads 6th and 7th graders through the invention process – we teach them technical skills like coding and woodworking, along with social-emotional skills like agency, effort, and grit – culminating in the creation of interactive sculptures that combine these new skills into something unique. Students came to KID Museum for six sessions throughout the school year, plus an intensive visit to Glenstone Museum to gain inspiration for their projects.

Young inventors worked closely with KID Museum educators, while 8th grade “mentors” guided their younger peers throughout the program, offering feedback on social-emotional goals.

Two 8th grade filmmaking teams documented the Invention Studio process, learning everything from how to use a camera, to storytelling and editing (and, as the students will tell you, about how to get along and work together on a shared project). In addition to working closely with KID Museum’s filmmaking expert, students had the opportunity to meet regularly with an educator from AFI Silver Theatre.

Parkland’s STEAM Showcase was the culminating event, held at AFI Silver in Silver Spring. Students demoed their interactive sculptures for family, friends, and community members, and the documentaries were shown in the large theater. The event, and Parkland’s K.I.D.S. Tech team, were promoted and marketed by a Communications Team of Parkland 8th graders, who had weekly sessions with a representative from Passion for Learning.

KID Museum gratefully acknowledges the Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation for their support of this program, and our partners, AFI Silver, Passion for Learning, and, of course, Parkland Middle School.