News

Fueling imagination through STEAM at your local library

Find out what’s new at Ampere, and within our extensive partner network, as we work with rural, remote and Indigenous communities to ensure that everyone has the power to embrace the power that STEAM creates.

At a Glance:

  • Our partnership with local libraries allows us to connect with a new audience and meet them where they are, leaving an open invitation for them to join us in other capacities.
  • The Makerpacks we create and distribute through the Library system are hands-on resources and educational experiences they can share with their family and friends.
  • This collaboration with the Library continues to grow with workshops, support sessions and in-person activities for learners of all ages.

“Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination” – American writer and producer Sidney Sheldon had it right. Libraries are a refuge, a resource, a community hub and, in Kawartha Lakes, an incredible partner in STEAM education.

Ampere has been working closely with the Kawartha Lakes Public Library and its branches for years, sharing the goal of encouraging STEAM education and skill development for people of all ages. Together, we create opportunities for at-home and in-branch learning in the heart of the communities we serve.

“My undergraduate degree is in English Literature, so being in the libraries makes me feel at home,“ says Emily Coombes, STEAM Educator with Ampere.

The library has a number of programs and resources that Ampere doesn’t, and vice versa. They also have an established presence in multiple communities, where people of all ages congregate to read, borrow books and attend programming. When we combine library resources with Ampere programs and resources, we’re able to reach more learners and offer more learning opportunities across the geographically dispersed Kawartha Lakes region.

“I love that we get to connect our knowledge to learners without even necessarily meeting them – with our Makerpacks, library visitors get to try out our activities without ever stepping foot in the Makerspace, but it also sometimes makes them interested in finding out what happens in the Makerspace,” says Coombes.

Makerpacks

The Makerpacks are small STEAM activity kits created by Ampere each month. We provide materials and instructions for an activity, along with book suggestions that align with the theme or topic for that month. As an example, for the month of May each Makerpack included a balloon, some ink and a magnifying glass, and makers were given information about fingerprints and the tools they need to examine their own.

Ampere has been creating Makerpacks for the Kawartha Lakes Library since January 2021. We’ve evolved from providing 50 Makerpacks for the libraries each month, to 150 per month during the school year and 300 per month in July and August, plus the seasonal Teen Subscription Packs. We also now provide Makerpacks to the Haliburton County Public Library as well.

Those interested in exploring the Makerpacks can ask the librarians at any of the Kawartha Lakes Library branches. Each branch receives a limited number of packs and they’re incredibly popular, so visiting at the beginning of the month offers your best chance to grab one before they’re gone.

The Makerpacks always connect to at least one aspect of STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts or Math – making them a convenient, fun way to explore these disciplines through experimentation and play.

Library Visits

Our STEAM educators visit each of the 14 library branches once in July and once in August to bring activities and learning opportunities – last year we focused on activities related to nature, creating a Bee Hotel from found materials, and using the Dash Robots to go from one specific location to another to “pollinate” flowers.

We also offered two three-week evening workshops this past winter aimed toward adults; one used the Cricut cutting machine to create stickers and iron on decorations, and the second was a crash course on Nature Journaling.

“And with the Bobcaygeon branch of the KLPL specifically, we hold four half-hour Senior Tech Support sessions each week where we help seniors find solutions to problems like how to check the validity of emails, or how to set up an email account on a phone,” explains Coombes.

Library Visits

Our partnership with the Library touches on a number of points in the Ampere Lifecycle, which demonstrates our commitment to supporting learners and communities at each stage of their growth.

In our Makerpacks and through our other visits and workshops, this partnership has a major educational component. Ampere has always been about play and the fun activities facilitated through this collaboration are an intriguing way to learn about STEAM.

We’re also providing resources to help parents and learners embrace the various aspects of STEAM, which may ultimately be the spark that leads to increased interest and a lifelong passion.

The library partnership also allows us to mentor participants through the instructions of the Makerpacks as well as through the workshops and visits where we have the opportunity to help learners build important digital literacy skills.

Scroll to Top