VENTURA COUNTY — The Southeast Ventura County YMCA and the Columbia Memorial Space Center’s second unit of their STEM Club for local middle schoolers begins January 19 online. The session focuses on solar chemistry and runs through March 26.
Middle schoolers meet online Tuesday through Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
“We’re discovering so much more about the energy around us. This unit gives participants hands-on opportunities to learn how we are harnessing the power of solar energy on our planet,” says Tori Cusack, the Y’s enrichment classes director. “STEM programs like these encourage the next generations to think big.”
A third and final unit of the program, “3D Printing and Robotic,” will take place beginning April 12 through June 18.
The STEM Club units were designed by staff from the Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey. The center opened in 2009 and is recognized as the national memorial to the space shuttle Columbia and its crew that were lost in 2003. Columbia staff members lead the YMCA STEM Club meetings.
STEM Club is available to all YMCA members and nonmembers in the local community. The fee is $49 per unit and includes club materials.
To sign up or to receive more information about STEM Club, go to www.sevymca.org/STEM
About the Southeast Ventura County YMCA — As part of the community since 1964, the Southeast Ventura County YMCA is a nonprofit charitable organization. Its mission is to build relationships, impact lives and strengthen the community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The three Southeast Ventura County YMCA branches are Yarrow Family YMCA (serving Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Oak Park) Conejo Valley YMCA (serving Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Moorpark and the Santa Rosa Valley) and Simi Valley Family YMCA (serving Simi Valley). The branches served over 20,500 residents last year including more than 7,000 who were able to participate because of money raised during the annual support campaign. www.sevymca.org/STEM