THE SAVINGS BANK is a premiere benefactor sponsor of the Lego Robotics EV3 pilot program for fourth graders in Wakefield public schools. Walton School PTO representative Barbara Lambiaso (left) and Wakefield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kim Smith (second from left), accepted the $5,000 donation from Bob DiBella, (second from right), executive vice president and chief operating officer, and Raichelle Kallery (right), senior vice president – senior retail banking officer, both of The Savings Bank.
Published in the August 27, 2015 edition
WAKEFIELD — The Savings Bank has donated $5,000 as a premiere benefactor sponsor of the Lego Robotics EV3 pilot program, a unique hands-on learning opportunity designed to increase technical knowledge for fourth graders in Wakefield public schools. The after-school program will be facilitated during the 2015-2016 school year by Wakefield Academy in conjunction with the Wakefield ISD Technology Department and the Walton School PTO.
According to Walton School PTO Enrichment Coordinator Ngan Wedemeier, the rise of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers in the job market, public schools demonstrates the need to increase STEM offerings at all grade levels, based on a study by Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce that shows that by 2018, eight million jobs in the U.S. economy will require a college degree in STEM. Wakefield elementary school students currently only receive 30 hours of technology instruction per year (approximately 3 percent of overall educational time).
Wakefield’s Lego Robotics EV3 pilot program will consist of two back-to-back five-week after-school programs at each of the elementary schools. All 300 fourth grade students in the district are eligible to participate in the program, under the instruction of two of the district’s K-4 Technology educators. Students will work in pairs and will receive instruction on how to configure their Lego EV3 robotic kit into one of six pre-designed robots and will learn how to program the software to control the robots. Once the students have mastered the basic configuration of the pre-designed robots, they can use the same parts to design their own robots.
“Lego Robotics EV3 requires students to utilize Computer Science, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math,” the enrichment coordinator said. “Students will understand the gap between hardware and software and learn how the two components work together. They will understand the value of creativity in STEM education by developing their own robotic design. Through working in pairs, students will need to utilize teamwork and group problem solving skills.”
Classroom teachers will have an opportunity to observe and develop a program that may incorporate this technology into the class in subsequent years.
“I am thrilled at the opportunity made available to us through key donations, such as The Savings Bank’s support as premiere benefactors, to provide innovative programming in technology and engineering for our elementary school students,” Wakefield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kim Smith said in accepting the donation.
“We are equally pleased to be a major sponsor of this exciting pilot program,” Bob DiBella, executive vice president and chief operating officer of The Savings Bank added. “It is a great opportunity for elementary school students to foster their interest in technology in a fun, creative way.”
