MVCC, SD218 offers STEAM courses

Through an educational collaboration with Moraine Valley Community College and Community High School District 218’s STEAM Camp, students entering second through eighth grades learned more about science, technology, engineering, art and math during summer break.

By Kelly White

Children rushed back to school this summer.

These fields offer students the opportunity to gain exposure to the cutting-edge field of STEAM, according to Larry Langellier, a computer science professor at Moraine Valley Community College.

“The two biggest benefits students get from our STEAM courses are seeing how fun STEAM can be and seeing a wide variety of applications of STEAM,” Langellier said. “Students in this age group are developing interests that will become the basis for deciding what classes to take in high school, what major to pursue in college and what careers they are interested in. The more exciting experiences they have, the more likely they are to consider a career in STEAM.”

Langellier has been teaching in Moraine Valley for 24 years and is the founder of the Adventures in STEM Academy at Moraine Valley Community College, a program he started 20 years ago. He has been the lead instructor for the STEAM camps at CHSD 218 since they began in the summer of 2017.

The program began in the summer of 2017 with a single camp for seventh and eighth graders. It has expanded to six camps each summer and now includes second through eighth graders.

“Students who attend these camps get to see the fun side of important STEAM subjects they’re taught in school,” Langellier said. “If they haven’t yet considered a STEAM field as something they’d like to do in the future, we hope to spark that interest in them.”

Langellier taught the classes alongside her daughter, Alexis (Lexi) Langellier, and Moraine Valley student Jenna Abuzerr.

“Being a computer science major, I was impressed by the coding projects the kids did. What they accomplished in one day took me much longer to learn,” Abuzerr said. “They have a very bright future, especially if they pursue a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The STEAM camp helps them improve their math skills, creativity and logic, preparing them to become engineers, scientists, mathematicians, etc.”

Abuzeer said it was her first time working with the STEAM camp and it was an enjoyable experience.

“The positive energy that the children consistently bring makes working with them a real pleasure,” Abuzeer said. “Their enthusiasm and fascination create a lively atmosphere, and it was amazing to see how quickly they grasp and complete challenging tasks and ideas. I really appreciated that each child felt comfortable and free to explore and express their creativity. The STEAM program has had a significant impact by promoting problem-solving and hands-on learning, helping children understand the relationships between different subjects.”

Lexi has been participating in Adventures in STEM classes at Moraine Valley for over ten years and has also been involved with STEAM camps since their inception.

Over the past five years, she has worked her way up to become the lead instructor for many of the camp’s math, technology, and engineering courses. She has also developed new courses, particularly those focused on creative application and the intersection of art and STEM. Lexi is currently pursuing a PhD in computational mathematics at Northern Illinois University and teaches college credit courses at MVCC as an adjunct.

“The biggest benefit these classes provide to students is exposure to different STEAM topics and activities,” Lexi said. “STEM and STEAM jobs are in high demand and pay well, but it can be very difficult to figure out what direction to take. When students take these classes at a young age, they have the advantage of discovering what they are passionate about early on and learning about opportunities and gaining experience.”

Each camp was free and ran for three to four days in a week (12 hours total). A total of six camps were offered this summer: one for second through fifth graders and one for sixth through eighth graders, at Harold L. Richards High School, 10601 Central Ave., Oak Lawn.

Topics covered in the program included: LEGO robotics and engineering, game programming, origami, digital art, engineering challenges like bridge building, paper airplanes, card houses, math and poetry and much more.

“I love this program because I want to attract more women to STEAM,” Lexi said. “While this program is open to both boys and girls, I think giving girls the opportunity to see what STEAM is really like, how fun it is, and how much creativity is involved helps attract more women to STEAM.”