GLOWS technology programs for youth return to KAST
By Contributor
An important Selkirk College program for youth is coming back under the Kootenay Association for Science and Technology (KAST) umbrella with some exciting upcoming events and programming.
GLOWS (Growing & Learning Opportunities With STEAM) provides opportunities to help youth ages 5-19 find inspiration about their post-secondary education in a variety of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) disciplines.
This unique program includes summer camps, RobotGames, the Kootenay Contraption Contest, Girls in Engineering and the Quantum Leaps speaker series. Events will be held in Trail, Nelson and Castlegar in the near future.
KAST created GLOWS in 2007 and ran the program for nine years until Selkirk College became the delivery lead.
“It’s been a big growth year for KAST,” says KAST Executive Director Cam Whitehead. “We’re thrilled to lead such great tech-focused programming for Kootenay youth. It’s so important to get kids from all backgrounds interested in STEAM fields from an early age.”
Selkirk College and KAST are longtime collaborators with major tech-focused initiatives including the MIDAS Fabrication Lab in Trail, the Web Development Program launching in fall 2019 and a Digital Fabrication Program to be launched in 2020.
“Fostering an interest and passion for learning these disciplines at a young age is vital to success when students reach the post-secondary stage of their education,” says John Kincaid, Selkirk College’s Vice President of Students & Advancement. “GLOWS will continue to grow and thrive under KAST which will be of great benefit for the minds of future leaders in science, technology, problem solving and creativity.”
Upcoming events and programming:
- Summer camps: A series of camps that will run for one to three days will be organized at MIDAS Lab (Trail) during the summer of 2019.
- Kootenay Contraption Contest: Students in Kindergarten to Grade 8 are invited to imagine, design and illustrate a “contraption” that solves a specific problem for a big prize.
- Quantum Leaps: A workshop series to engage girls in grades 10-12 in science, engineering and technology-related post-secondary education and careers.
- RobotGames: Youth from around the region will build, program and deck out their robots to enter RobotGames, a fun and free-spirited event full of prizes.
Photo Caption: GLOWS provides opportunities for youth to immerse themselves into fun and exciting programs throughout the year including the annual RobotGames that has been taking place in the gym at the Selkirk College Castlegar Campus for the last three years. — Submitted
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