12 impact / Cal Poly College of Liberal Arts Liberal of College /Poly Cal how to program robots. how to program kids teach to storytelling PolyCal students use Louisa NickersonLouisa (Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies, ’20) programming at theSanta Maria Valley Discovery teaches kids robotic Museum.
PHOTO CREDIT TOP RIGHT: EMILY MERTEN; JACOB IZZO (3) Life PlusLife Lab, where participants created moldsoftheirown thumbs. ofHispanicSociety Professional Engineers, andvisiting theQuality of chapter,neers creating asimple electronic circuit theCal with Poly building newspaper theNational towers with ofBlack Society Engi - bycoding run Cal Poly’s Women Involved inSoftware andHardware, fields inthefuture.sessions Other workshopat the computer included the likelihood that students those working themselves see inthose making students themaccessible increase to young, will underserved Queen song asitran thecourse. group programmed theirrobot faceandplay asmiley to wear a 180 degrees andnavigated ofthecourse backward. apart Another interested inthefuture. inthetechnology the students were more motivated —andmore to succeed likely to be rable foryoung kids. For example, to teach by robotics, using thestory innovation, thinking, critical problem-solving andcollaboration. STEM fields.Both can spark imagination and teach creativity, approach allows students how to see interconnected are thearts with (adding theAto themore-often acronym used STEM). ASTEAM stands forscience, andmath engineering, arts technology, STEAM Workshop that Cal Poly students organized fortheSanta Maria kids. complete therequired tasks. robots using aniPad andthennavigate themthrough obstacles to 45 minutes to learn thebasic capabilities oftherobots, program the tasks. specific were completeschoolers Themiddle very given participants to save theircommunity was to program small robots to bywritten Cal Poly students. In thescenario, theonly way forthe The idea isthat introducing fieldsinafun, exciting STEAM way and at that!”“Look exclaimed oneparticipant asherteam’s robot turned can also The arts make theintroduction more of technology memo- This was sessionjust inthe onedaylong Ahead Full STEAM save theirhometown ofSanta Maria from destruction. inside abuildingschoolers at Cal Poly were attempting to n onerainy Saturday morning inearly March, agroup ofmiddle The young studentswere playing a scenario role ina concepts. STEAM children teach to planned they at aworkshop students pose Cal Poly A group of collaborations andcontinued community engagement. and othergenerous provide donors —will anew hub forsimilar being built oncampus right by now inpart andfunded theCashins The new Jack and ExpressiveFelicia Cashin Technology Studios — reality,virtual interactive gaming and3D animation technologies. several companies andentrepreneurs to create capture, performance of motion-capture to collaborate hope also They technology. with on-campus workshops. financial forthe Santasupport studentsMaria to come to Cal Poly for Education.Alliance forArts Santa Barbara CountyArts and Officeof Culture andthe California Maria-Bonita District, andotherpartners, School including the Interdisciplinary Studies Department, intheLiberal Santa Arts Technology, andEngineering theLiberal Studies Arts program, offer career-enhancement opportunities. provide firsthand engagementwith newcreative and technologies enrichment, improve access to advanced STEAM-based education, their teachers andtheirfamilies.goals are The to create community students, middleandhigh school elementary, ataimed underserved Above: Santa Maria visit part in a STEAM inaSTEAM part of students from Cal Poly to take a robot shejust The group plans to build on education robotics with theaddition Cal Poly’s TRIOPre-College Programs provides also logistical and The ongoing outreach involves CLA’sExpressive Center for workshopwider community-outreachThe ofa was a part project Right: Maria watches programmed. from Santa workshop. Astudent Agroup Fall 2020
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