Anyone who wants to support youth innovation! The Young Inventors’ Program is adaptable to any learning environment: classrooms, after-school programs, libraries, clubs, community programs, homeschools, and independent learners. YIP sites in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont may participate in our regional competitions. We will help you connect to the network of invention programs to compete locally – if there isn’t one near you, you may compete in our Independent Students' Invention Fair.  

All Young Inventors’ Program materials are FREE – yes, free – thanks to generous donors. By registering, you will receive exclusive access to our live trainings for YIP leaders, webinars for young inventors, and resources to assist you as you mentor youth innovators. We ask you to register because we want to connect with you so that we can report participation to funders which is essential for our sustainability. See below for more details about benefits, eligibility (everyone is eligible).

To learn more and register for the program: https://www.unh.edu/leitzel-center/form/register-your-school

Three new Leap into Science modules now available on NH State Library's Niche Academy. Leap Into Science curricula integrates open-ended science activities with children’s books, designed for children ages 3-10 and their families.

This project has been made possible in part by funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Balance

Light and Shadow

Wind

The network aims to achieve four goals: 

• • Build capacity of libraries to become community hubs for citizen science
  • Support a community of libraries engaging their community in citizen science
  • Broaden participation of diverse communities in citizen science
  • Shape and accelerate scientific research.

Network Benefits

Network members receive a bimonthly newsletter, early access to webinars and other professional development opportunities, helpful tips and resources, technical support, and more! Join today.

CS First - From Google for Education a computer science curriculum that makes coding easy. 

Sphero Edu Draw, blocks and texts programs and STEAM activities.

Exploratorium - The Tinkering Studio Experiments with science, art, technology and delightful ideas.

Girls Who Code offer free computer science activities for students, educators, and parents. 

Show Me Librarian - All Things STEAM  a resource for offering library programming in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.

​Smithsonian Learning Lab is your destination for millions of carefully curated, easily accessible, customizable, and shareable open educational resources.

Looking for vetted STEM activities–check out StarNet’s STEM Activity Clearinghouse. There is even a Take & Make category.
http://clearinghouse.starnetlibraries.org/

STEM Gems are short discovery-based experiences from the National Afterschool Association. You need to be a member but membership is free. 

TinkerLab Free hands-on art and science activities for Pre-K & up.

Rev Up The Fun  is a partnership between Cornerstones of Science and the Maine Campus Compact. It  is an online resource that offers a large collection of online science activities, videos, and resources for kids, aged 6-12 on the topics of space, energy, wellness, and more. These FREE science-based activities are designed to use household materials and can be completed at home.
 

The Colebrook Public Library, with funding from a New Hampshire State Library Summer Learning Grant provided by the Saul O. Sidore Memorial Fund in memory of Rebecca Lee Spitz, held some fun learning programs for their community over the summer. 

Using the findings of the Reimagining School Readiness project and basing all the activities in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math), the library met two of their major goals. 

1. Provide safe, outdoor in-person programs that foster a love of learning, spark curiosity, support the development of critical thinking skills, and encourage families to explore & learn together. 

2. Reconnect with former patrons and build relationships with new patrons. 

Creative Critters was a series of animal themed activities for youth ages 6-12. A series of drop-in outdoor programs for children ages 3+ was named STEMsploration. Guided play was incorporated into activities such as Hex bugs where children were given a challenge and materials, but had to design and build their own solution to the problem. Free play opportunities were given using a water table, play farm and magnetic tile blocks. 

To make their activities easy to replicate at home, the Colebrook Public Library used  easily accessible materials as much as possible such as recyclables, natural objects, blocks and paper. They also made signs for STEMsploration activity stations to help adults understand how each activity could help their child learn and grow. 

Thanks to the Colebrook Public Library and Youth Services Librarian Melissa Hall, these activity signs can be found here to replicate these great activities at your library: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1P5vr0ihdvc_SlykhczGeYezfh3l9ebBP?usp=sharing