STAPLETON — Staten Island MakerSpace is starting a new series of workshops this month aimed at teaching students how to code and make machines.
The MakerSpace, a co-working venue for people in creative fields, will host after-school and weekend programs for students and an afternoon workshop for homeschooled children that will teach kids engineering, coding, how to build robots and make games.
"There seems to be a need for more things hands-on and tech-based for kids and young adults to do," said DB Lampman, co-founder of the space at 450 Front St.
"We’re opening up and trying to expand on that sort of program."
Every Wednesday, the space will host the "Geek Club" where middle and high school students can work on projects that reinforce STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) skills used in classrooms, said Chris O'Brien, instructor of the workshop.
"We want to act as support systems for a classroom teacher," O'Brien, a former public school teacher, said.
"We want to be able to put together programs that are relevant to what kids are doing in school so they can bring it back to the classroom."
O'Brien said the first few sessions of the club will focus on creating video games in HTML5. Attendees will then work to make a simple car and create a marketing strategy for it.
"I really just want to facilitate experiences for children to learn and be able to do stuff," he said.
"They're 21st century skills that kids need to be able to compete and be financially and socially prosperous."
The MakerSpace will also host "WKND Tech" workshops throughout the month that will teach how to build interactive computer hardware, micro controllers and coding, Lampman said.
"There's going to be a lot of new job opportunities, particularly for girls, in engineering and sciences and the more that we can enrich children's education in those areas, I think the better.
"It’s all about creative thinking and creative problem solving. We want to be able to teach kids how to be excited about coming up with solutions to problems and get excited about wanting to build something."
Lampman said that all the workshops will be self-contained to a single session or weekend so students won't get left behind if they can't come to every meeting of the "Geek Club."
The MakerSpace is also working on creating a mobile "STEAM Wagon" outfitted with a laser cutter, 3D printer and other tools that will be taken to schools around the borough for workshops.
