STEAM Education Centre
745 Talbot Street N5P1E3 Saint Thomas, ON, Canada

Congratulations to all of last night’s impact award nominees and winners!

What a cool opportunity! Check out this TVDSB post inviting artists to submit designs for their annual holiday card.

Have you ever dreamed of going to outer space? What would you like to see? What favourite thing would you take with you to space?

All aboard! On this bright sunny day we enjoyed visiting the Railway City Little Free Library’s new City Centre box. Take a book or leave a book to help get you through the upcoming cooler days. Did you know we make the signs for these on a laser cutter right here @steameducentres? They feature stories about St Thomas neighbourhood history. Thanks @youngfreepress for the idea to come for a visit!

Today we are celebrating reading for day 6 of Science Literacy Week! Find out how our brains learn to read in this awesome infographic. See full infographic by clicking the link below... https://attachment.eab.com//PDF-DLF-How-Our-Brains-Learn-t... #ScienceLiteracyWeek #science #steamcentre #steameducation #ontarioeducation #sttont #ldnont #elgincoutny #reading

Here is some physics fun for day 5 of Science Literacy Week! #science #scienceliteracyweek #steamlearning #physics #ldnont #sttont #scilit

Have you ever made your own projector? The students @Antler River Elementary chose their favourite constellation and are building projectors for #iSTEAM

It's Wednesday, that means its day 3 of Science Literacy Week! Let's take a look at the Science of Rainbows! Who discovered the science behind rainbows? ... Why do two rainbows occasionally develop? Why are the colors always in the same order? All your rainbow questions answered here in the rainbows infographic by Weather Underground. Click link for full resolution image. https://www.wunderground.com/weather-infographics/rainbows #STEAMEducation #ScienceLiteracyWeek #science #SciLit #ScienceLiteracy #steamcentre #sttont #elgincounty #LdnOnt

We want to hear your voice! Thank you to those who helped us launch this great community initiative. #steamcommunitystudio

Did you know? Roberta Bondar was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in 1945. She always loved science and her father built a lab in the basement of their home where she would do all sorts of experiments.... Now, she's not only a great astronaut, but she's also a neurologist (who specializes in the brain, that's why they call her Dr.), an educator, and photographer! In 1992, Dr. Bondar was launched into space as a Payload Specialist on the space shuttle Discovery. #scienceliteracy #scilit #scienceliteracyweek #science #canada #canadahistory #historycanada #steameducation

It's Science Literacy Week and we are excited to share lots of science with you all! Check out this great infographic and be sure to share the love of science this week! The Chemicals Behind the Colours of Autumn Leaves... "With autumn looming on the horizon, the leaves on some trees have already begun the transition towards the vibrant hues of autumn. Whilst this change may outwardly seem like a simple one, the many vivid colours are a result of a range of chemical compounds, a selection of which are detailed here." read more.... https://www.compoundchem.com/2014/09/11/autumnleaves/ #scilit #ScienceLiteracy #ScienceLiteracyWeek #steamcentre #steameducation #ontarioeducation #sttont #ldnont #elgincounty

Happy Science Literacy Week! Celebrate science with us all week on Social Media.... What is Science Literary Week? "Science literacy week showcases the diversity of Canadian science and the culture its embedded in." ~ scienceliteracy.ca #steameducation #scilit #science #steamlearning #steamcentre #stthomasproud #sttont #ldnont #elgincounty #ontarioedu #charity @ STEAM Education Centre

Street Art Spotlight Liam (15) painted his first mural downtown St. Thomas behind the @igniteyouthcentre on Talbot Street. Liam's mural was chosen through the Street Art Workshop at the STEAM Centre on Talbot Street... We met up with Liam behind the Centre and asked him a few questions about his experience at the Street Art Workshop and on painting his first mural. STEAM Centre - What did you learn from the Street Art Workshop? Liam - I learned painting and spray painting techniques to help improve my work. SC - How long have you been expressing yourself artistically? Liam - I've been drawing for about 10 years and this is my first mural, I think graffiti is my favourite thing now. SC - What does your graffiti represent? Liam - It represents the black lives matter movement and the stuggle that black people experience in our society. #streetartworkshop #steamworkshops #steamcentre #sttont #graffitiart #graffiti #stthomasproud #elgincounty #artist #creativity #art #teen #steameducation @ STEAM Education Centre

This is so awesome!

We’re having a look at some books we have around the STEAM Centre for some inspiration towards some new creative activities. Sometimes it’s easy to want to resort to online resources but books are a FANTASTIC way to spend time flipping through the pages to get the creativity flowing! #steameducation #steam #stthomasproud #ldnont #books #booklover #creativity #getinspired #stthomasontario

Our STEAM friend STEVE is helping us today on the 3D printer. Steve is making sure the 3D printer is working well and that we are documenting the progress for our social media’s! Thanks Steve! #steameducation #steam #stthomasproud #ldnont #books #booklover #creativity #getinspired #stthomasontario #3dprints #3dprints #canoncamera

The 13ft robot responds to the actions of its handler who is seated in a central cockpit Ruptly

Virtual Summer Camp 2020 Episode 6 Hey STEAM-ers! Welcome to the finale of the Virtual Summer Camp 2020 series! We’ve had so much fun making these and we hope that you’ve had fun following along too! For our final episode we’re going out with a bang...or should I say launch? That’s rightwe asked on our Instagram and Facebook if you wanted to see Bottle Rockets and the answer was 100% YES! ... WARNING: PARENT OR GUARDIAN SUPERVISION REQUIRED. These rockets are mega-fun to make and even cooler to launch, but they shoot at high speed and huge force. We also strongly recommend the use of safety glasses. #virtualsummercamp2020series #waterrocket #bakingsodaandvinegar #diyrocket #diytoys #diykids #diykidstoys #diykidsactivities #steam #steameducation #diy #virtuallearning #summercamp #virtualcamp #onlinelearning #experientiallearning #campinabag #steamlearning #stthomasproud #sttont #stthomasontario #stthomas #ldnont #londonontario #londonontariocanada

Last week was Teen Week for Virtual Summer Camp and Robocar was one of their biggest projects! They designed the 3D printed pegs and laser cut base in TinkerCAD, and then they acted as electrical, mechanical, and civil engineers to wire the circuit, assemble the pieces, and build a monorail track. The end result was a fantastic kit that we were able to safely send out to teens, but it took a lot of trial and error to get there! Sometimes it’s human error and other times i...t’s technology, but with patience and problem solving it works out in the end. Check out the photos to see the REAL LIFE design process! The inspiration for this project came from Instructables: instructables.com/id/Rover-Design-Challenge/ See more

An all-electric flying car is as cool as it sounds.

With closures to schools, centres and libraries, hundreds of people are disconnected from our digitally driven world. To support those in need, STEAM Centre has created re//BUILD.IT Community. The program refurbishes donated end-of-life or unwanted computers and provides them to students, Indigenous communities and people with limited income who are without access to essential tech. re//BUILD.IT Community is also reducing the environmental impact of electronic waste in the mo...st effective way by extending the life of computers. Learn more... https://www.steameducation.ca/rebuildit/ How it works: Contact the STEAM Centre team at [email protected] to make a request. A Program Coordinator will help to assess your needs and eligibility. When equipment is ready, you will be contacted by a Program Coordinator to make arrangements for pick-up. #rebuildit #steamcentre #steameducation #elgincounty #sttont #ldnont #ontarioeducation #community #rebuilditcomunity

Yesterday was the last day of our Virtual Summer Camp for Family and Children’s Services and we had so much fun delivering it! All of our participants were so excited to open their bags each day and we wanted to show you what they’ve been working on because they’ve made some awesome stuff the past few weeks! Check it out: Google Drawings to make laser cutting files Hand Glider... String Art Robocar Marble Roller Coaster Origami Animal Puzzle

Virtual Summer Camp 2020 Episode 5 Hey STEAM-ers! Presenting DIY Air Fresheners, as promised! Our Instagram and Facebook polls were divided 50/50 for a Slime episode and an Air Freshener Episode...so we’re bringing you both! If you haven’t seen us make slime yet, check out the last episode!... These air fresheners last for months and can be as smelly as you make them! We made ours orange coloured and orange scented for some citrusy-goodness, but we’d love to know what other colours and scents you come up with at home! Let us know in the comments #virtualsummercamp2020series #glowinthedark #steam #steameducation #diy #airfresheners #diyfresheners #virtuallearning #summercamp #virtualcamp #onlinelearning #experientiallearning #campinabag #steamlearning #stthomasproud #sttont #stthomasontario #stthomas #ldnont #londonontario #londonontariocanada

Virtual Summer Camp 2020 Episode 4 Hey STEAM-ers! The results are in! Our Instagram and Facebook polls were divided 50/50 for a Slime episode and an Air Freshener Episode...so we’re bringing you both! ... Today we make the classic favourite: SLIME! But, we take it to the next level with glow-in-the-dark paint! This at-home concoction is easy to make and fun to play with! #virtualsummercamp2020series #slime #glowinthedark #steam #steameducation #virtuallearning #summercamp #virtualcamp #onlinelearning #experientiallearning #campinabag #steamlearning #stthomasproud #sttont #stthomasontario #stthomas #ldnont #londonontario #londonontariocanada

What local issues need to be addressed to improve experiences of all kinds in St. Thomas and Elgin County? Yesterday’s Virtual Summer Camp 2020 theme was Engineering, which is all about designing and building things to find solutions and improve lives. It has us thinking about our upcoming STEAM Community Studio project...how can we use engineering to think about solutions to challenges facing the St. Thomas and Elgin County community? When was the last time you thought, ...Why aren’t we doing ‘this’? or How can ‘that’ be done differently? We want to hear your thoughts about the challenges facing our community and/or solutions you see to community experiences. Send us a message or start a discussion in the comments with your thoughts!

Virtual Summer Camp 2020 Episode 3 DIY Constellations Today we take STEAM-ers through another awesome Virtual Summer Camp activity you can do right at home! We challenge you to design some constellations of your own or print off the one’s we’ve created with this link: https://docs.google.com//1v_Jq_CBYUXvYgZqB0Q382kirW4/edit ... Happy star gazing! What do you want to see in the next episode? React with a thumbs up for DIY air fresheners React with a heart for slime Or let us know in the comments below

Virtual Summer Camp 2020 Episode 2 Sketching 101 - Gone Virtual Today we talk about sketching for communication. Sketching is not the same thing as drawing which is what you might imagine when I say that word. Sketching is about communicating ideas! We challenge you to sketch a person, a car, and a phonebut we turned it virtual with piskelapp.com. ... CHALLENGES: Challenge 1a: Sketch a person. Challenge 1b: What does it take to communicate that your person is a superhero? Hint: using different colours can help emphasize important parts of your sketch. Challenge 1c: What does it take to communicate that your superhero is flying? Sketch a flying superhero. Challenge 2a: Sketch a car. Hint: it only takes 3 shapes to communicate the idea of a car. Challenge 2b: What does it take to communicate that your car is a pickup truck? Sketch a pickup truck. Challenge 2c: What does it take to communicate that your pickup truck is moving? Sketch a moving pickup truck. Challenge 3a: Sketch a phone. Challenge 3b: What does it take to communicate that your phone is ringing? Sketch a ringing phone. Challenge 3c: What does it take to communicate that your phone is playing music? Sketch a phone playing music.

Had a great day of wiping drives and voiding warranties! #rebuilditcommunity #steamcentre #steameducation #sttont #ldnont #elgincounty #ontarioedu #charity #empoweringthefuture #techlife @ STEAM Education Centre

Virtual Summer Camp 2020 Episode 1 We take STEAM-ers through an easy DIY paper popper activity that you can make with just one sheet of paper! This noise maker pops over and over again so if you’re looking for something to entertain you today, this is sure to do the trick. Happy popping!

The STEAM Centre’s re//BUILD.IT Community program is connecting hundreds of people who are without access to a computer and in the process reducing harmful electronic waste by rebuilding and redistributing computers to those in need. How it works Contact the STEAM Centre team at [email protected] to make a request.... A Program Coordinator will help to assess your needs and eligibility. When equipment is ready, you will be contacted to make arrangements for pick-up. #steamcentre #rebuilditcommunity #sttont #ldnont #elgincounty #stthomasproud #steameducation #steamcommunity @ STEAM Education Centre

Today we launched our first day of STEAM Virtual Summer Camp for St. Thomas Family and Children’s Services made possible with funding by the Government of Canada. Stay tuned over the next three weeks to see some of the activities and challenges we’ve made for our STEAM-ers! #steam #steameducation #virtuallearning #summercamp #virtualcamp #onlinelearning #experientiallearning #campinabag #steamlearning #stthomasproud #sttont #stthomasontario #stthomas

Many, many people from across Elgin - St. Thomas lost access to a computer when libraries, public centres and schools closed in March due to COVID; at a time when access to a computer is more important than ever. STEAM Education Centre is so thrilled and very grateful for this grant from the Government of Canada which will allow us to continue our re//BUILD.IT Community program, providing refurbished desktop and laptop computers free of cost to low income people from across o...ur region. For info on the program, email [email protected]. More details and how to apply will be on our website soon! http://unitedwayem.ca/united-way-flows-2-2m-in-covid-19-re/

We are THRILLED to share @cira.ca news and to receive this generous support to launch 'I-STEAM Digital Literacy' this fall - a research and participatory design project to deliver science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) programming to Indigenous youth from Chippewas of the Thames First Nations. With this grant from CIRA, local Indigenous youth and teachers will have access to traditional tools, emerging technology, and creative support from the STEAM Team to strengthen digital literacy and find meaningful ways of incorporating technology into classroom learning. Stay tuned for more information on the I-STEAM program, coming soon!

We are gearing up to deliver more computers to families in our community this week through our re//BUILD.IT Community project at the STEAM Education Centre in St. Thomas, Ontario. #rebuildit #community #sttont #ldnontario #londonont #stthomasproud #steamcommunity #ontarioeducation #technology #charity @ STEAM Education Centre

Please note the following temporary change to our ewaste collection service at Elgin County Library locations.

Get creative at home by reusing your cereal boxes! Check out this really fun list, you’ll find cereal box cars, flowers, pretend play props, art projects and tools, cereal box animals, and more. https://leftbraincraftbrain.com/cereal-box-crafts-cereal-b/... #steamedu #steamcentre #crafts #stemedu #sttont #ldnont #elgin #education #creative #creativity #fun

What a fantastic creation to ensure everyone can stay well and function as normally as possible during these COVID days. Well done, @maxcucchiella