STEM

“Look deep into nature and then you will better understand everything.” – Albert Einstein

STEMIn addition to our STEM Summer Camps and special STEM days at the Meriden YMCA Mountain Mist Day Camp and Outdoor Center, we now offer STEM programs in collaboration with the CT STEM Academy located at 91 Main Street in South Meriden.

Our Meriden YMCA STEM Academy programs have been recognized and awarded these very special grants. We are grateful for the support of these organizations:

  • 2018 Cox Charities STEM Education Grant
  • 2016 Cox STEM Education Grant
  • 2015 3M STEM Education Grant
  • 2012 Napier Foundation STEM Education Grant
  • 2011 NASA Summer of Innovation STEM Education Grant.

STEM programs are under the direction of Christopher Stone, Director of STEM Academy.

 

2019 STEM Programs

CT STEM OPEN HOUSE IN SOUTH MERIDEN

  • Day / Date: Wednesday, January 2
  • Time: 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
  • Cost: FREE
  • Location: CT STEM Academy at 91 Main Street, South Meriden
  • Description: Join us for a meet and greet with the CT STEM
    Staff and preview our upcoming Winter, Spring, and Summer Camp programs.

LEGO MINDSTORMS ROBOTICS

The great minds at LEGO have provided the tools and means for us to use their fun kits to do more advanced STEM and computer science. LEGO Mindstorms are a great facet for students to explore a different side of robotics that includes interesting building challenges, programming, and innovative thinking with high interest materials.

  • Dates: February 27 and March 6, 13, 20, 27
  • Day/Time: Wednesdays 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
  • Fee: $45
  • Ages: 9 to 13
  • Location: CT STEM Academy at 91 Main Street, South Meriden

SNAP CIRCUITS

Come join us in building exciting projects such as FM and AM radios, digital voice recorders, burglar alarms, doorbells, and much more! This engaging program makes learning electronics easy and fun!

  • Dates: January 7, 14, 28 and February 4 (No Meeting on Monday, January 21)
  • Day/Time: Mondays 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.
  • Fee: $35
  • Ages: 8 to 12
  • Location: CT STEM Academy at 91 Main Street, South Meriden

CUBELETS EXPLORATION

You don’t need to be an expert programmer to build novel robotic inventions with cubelets. These easy to use magnetic blocks snap together and allow students to build whatever robot they can imagine! The unique design lets young inventors try out many different circuits to elicit new and exciting robot behaviors. Come explore this new offering!

  • Date: February 18
  • Time: Monday 6:00 to 7:15 p.m.
  • Fee: $10
  • Ages: 9 to 13
  • Location: CT STEM Academy at 91 Main Street, South Meriden

CHEMISTRY

Explore a different side of STEM with this great program. Participants who join will have the chance to see how the properties of substances can make for some very interesting projects in a more in-depth analysis of how chemistry can really be exciting!

  • Dates: January 17, 24, 31 and February 7 and 14
  • Day/Time: Thursdays 6:00 to 7:15 p.m.
  • Fee: $40
  • Ages: 8 to 13
  • Location: CT STEM Academy at 91 Main Street, South Meriden

FUN WITH ROBOTICS

Do you like to solve problems? Are you interested in doing science? Do you want to code a robot? If so, then you’ll want to sign up for Ball Headz Saturday STEM Academy! During this session, we will be exploring coding and robotics with ozobots. Ozobots are small hand held robots that participants will code to complete simple tasks. This is a collaborative program with Ball Headz and Justin Mitchell.

  • Dates: January 5, 12, 26 February 2 and 9 (No Meeting on January 19)
  • Day/Time: Saturdays 10:00 to 11:15 A.M.
  • Fee: $40
  • Ages: 8 to 13
  • Location: CT STEM Academy at 91 Main Street, South Meriden

OZOBOTS

Did you know that computing related jobs are one of the fastest growing STEM related careers? Join us for an engaging introduction to computer science with coding and our Ozobot robots. Participants will code a robot both on paper with markers, as well as online through a web-based program called Ozoblockly.

  • Dates: February 25 and March 4, 11, 18 and 25
  • Day/Time: Mondays 6:00 - 7:15 p.m.
  • Fee: $40
  • Ages: 8 to 12
  • Location: CT STEM Academy at 91 Main Street, South Meriden

TECH IT UP!

Do you like to explore science, solve problems and use technology? If you do, then STEM Academy is the perfect place for you! Join us for an engaging session of exploring many different STEM Challenges through hands-on investigations. Our session will include high interest materials such as Cubelets and Makey Makey!

  • Dates: April 1 and 8
  • Day/Time: Mondays 6:00 to 7:15 p.m.
  • Fee: $20
  • Ages: 8 to 12
  • Location: CT STEM Academy at 91 Main Street, South Meriden

NATURAL DISASTERS

What student doesn’t love learning about natural disasters? This STEM session will give students the ability to explore science and engineering concepts using tangible, hands-on activities. Students will learn about several types of natural disasters including: tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, blizzards, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Use of technology, cooperative learning and hands on activities are just some of the ways students will learn all about natural disasters! All students will make, and take, their own volcano.

  • Dates: January 9, 16, 23, 30 and February 6
  • Day/Time: Wednesdays 6:00 to 7:15 p.m.
  • Fee: $40
  • Ages: 8 to 12
  • Location: CT STEM Academy at 91 Main Street, South Meriden

MAKE & TAKE FUN

Do you like to solve problems? Are you interested in doing science? Do you want to code a robot? If so, then you’ll want to sign up for Ball Headz Saturday STEM Academy! During this session, participants will make and take creations such as lava lamps, slime, race cars and more. This is a collaborative program with Ball Headz and Justin Mitchell.

  • Dates: March 16, 23, 30 April 6 and 13
  • Day/Time: Saturdays 10:00 to 11:15
  • Fee: $40
  • Ages 8 to 13
  • Location: CT STEM Academy at 91 Main Street, South Meriden

SATURDAY SCIENCE

There’s nothing like some science to kick off the weekend! Saturday Science programs will involve exciting projects for students to burn off some of that built up energy from the week. Activities will include exciting and engaging science labs for kids to collaborate on.

  • Dates: March 9
  • Day/Time: Saturday 10:00-11:15 am
  • Fee: $10
  • Ages 8 to 12
  • Location: CT STEM Academy at 91 Main Street, South Meriden

STEM BIRTHDAY PARTY

Celebrate your birthday with STEM! We can customize the STEM birthday activities to your child’s interest to make sure this year’s birthday will be the most fun and memorable yet! Please contact Christopher Stone at cstone@meridenymca.org for more details.

  • Day/Time: Saturdays 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
  • Age: 8 and above
  • Location: CT STEM Academy at 91 Main Street, South Meriden

STEM programs at the Meriden YMCA Mountain Mist Outdoor Center and Day Camp

No need to miss out on STEM fun when the school year ends. Join us at Mountain Mist Day Camp where you can enjoy STEM camps in the morning and traditional camp activities in the afternoon. 

Our 2018 STEM camps include Nature Science Camp, Rocketry and Flight Camp, STEM Maker Camp, Engineering Camp, and STEM is All Around Us Camp.  Visit our STEM Camps page to learn more.

To read an article about one of the Meriden YMCA STEM Academy summer science programs click here.

Our Facilities:

1. The CT STEM Academy at 91 Main Street in South Meriden

2. STEM Classroom at the Mountain Mist Outdoor Center - The Meriden YMCA STEM Academy at the Mountain Mist Outdoor Center is conveniently located in central Connecticut along the border of Wallingford and Middlefield, off Route 66 (East Main Street in Meriden, CT). The facility includes:

  • 66 acres of nature
  • The CAT (50 foot climbing tower)
  • Two Rock Walls
  • Ten Low Rope Challenge Course Elements
  • One Large Swimming Pool
  • Large Pavilion
  • Small Pavilion

Science Education Classroom

Our Staff
Our staff includes a group of highly trained professionals that have the following requirements:

  • College Education and/or Related Experience
  • Camp Experience (not necessarily at Mountain Mist)
  • Specialty that can be taught in a class setting
  • (Science interest in rocks, social studies interest in American Revolution, artistic, musical)
  • People skills and kid friendly
  • In addition, our staff includes certified ropes course facilitators for Mountain Mist’s low and high ropes course elements.

To learn more about the curriculum and what a typical day is like at the STEM Academy, contact Chris Stone or Carolyn Daniels.

Carolyn Daniels, Arts and Education Director, Meriden YMCA t 203-235-6386 or cdaniels@meridenymca.org

Christopher Stone, Science Education Director, Meriden YMCA at 203-314-7865 or cstone@meridenymca.org

Thank you to Cox Charities for supporting our STEM Programs.

Contact the Meriden YMCA Today ›