This post was sponsored by the Boys & Girls Club of America as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central.”
Our children are growing up in an ever-changing world of technology. Just from my own experience, it’s amazing to me that kids literally have the whole world right at their fingertips. My own child and the students I work with absolutely love using the computer to explore their interests, do research, play games, and communicate with one another. I once had a group of kids who would stay after school to use the computers in the library until it was time for me to leave because they didn’t have access to one in their own homes. I loved that they were excited about technology and wished so much that they were able to do more of this at home. As we all know, learning shouldn’t stop outside of the classroom.
As a librarian, digital literacy is something I teach to my students of all ages to help them become responsible users of the World Wide Web. STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) jobs are on the rise and expected to grow almost twice as fast as other fields by 2018. Equipping our children and students with the skills to do these jobs is becoming increasingly important.
The Boys & Girls Club of America is stepping up to meet this need for even more hands-on experiences with STEM with the Boys & Girls Club of America My.Future initiative. This program makes it possible for kids and teens to explore STEM topics that they are already interested in during after school and summer programs. As an educator, I can tell you that students are definitely more excited about learning when it’s something they actually are passionate about and this program gives them that opportunity.
The Boys & Girls Club of America My. Future initiative offers kids and teens over 40 hands-on activities to give them a better understanding of digital citizenship and how to identify their digital interests while earning certifications during the process. This allows participants to learn more about robotics, game design, programming, and online journalism, just to name a few. Thinking back, I would have loved to have been a part of a program like this growing up. I loved writing and journalism and never imagined I would someday have my own blog and be free to write in a digital space that was my own. Participants of the Boys & Girls Club of America My.Future initiative are learning tools to help them achieve success with whatever they choose to do in life.
I am so excited about this program and encourage those of you who live near a Boys & Girls Club of America to check this out. To learn more, visit http://greatfutures.org/Pages/Programs-MyFuture.aspx .
My kids could definitely benefit from this program. I’m gonna have to check it out.