GRAND RAPIDS CHARTER TWP, Mich. — You don't usually hear of kids learning the fundamentals of engineering in school, but at one West Michigan day care center, a program called "Little Engineers" is part of its curriculum.
The Learning Experience - Beltline just wrapped up the 16-week course.
Children as young as three are learning through hands-on engineering activities and tool kits to problem solve, get creative and build relationships — all skills they'll eventually use day-to-day as grown-ups.
"We immediately start with investigating the tool kits, so we separate each piece individually," said Isabel Mixis-Laird, the lead teacher of the preschool classroom at The Learning Experience - Beltline.
Screw-by-screw, with some serious swings and a twist or two, "Little Engineers" at The Learning Experience - Beltline are tightening up their skills week-by-week with the help of their teacher Miss Isabel.
"It is something that we do for a long period of time to kind of inflict some of those skills more thoroughly," said Mixis-Laird.
By the final week, the kids combine all the skills.
"We used all of our materials, and we took our knowledge that we learned, and we designed it, and we made it our own, and we used creativity, and that's how we did it," said Mixis-Laird.
This is just one of several curriculum's introduced to kids from infants all the way to age five.
Each program is tailored to the specific age groups.
"It helps teach children different types of skills between, you know, the natural curiosity as well as involving science and math subjects, problem solving skills as well as social and emotional development," said Mixis-Laird.
The STEM-based learning allows kids to learn independently and also as a group.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says science, technology, engineering and math jobs are on the rise.
By 2032, there will be nearly 11% more jobs in STEM fields than 10 years before.
Kennedy Savageau, the assistant director of the center, says the programs enhance the way kids think, introducing them to the types of jobs they could have adults.
"They focus on it for about 30 minutes a day. It fits into their daily routine and to kind of their small group and large group spots," said Kennedy Savageau, the assistant director at The Learning Experience -Beltline.
These experiences are aiming to let kids learn through exploring and doing, so they'll be better positioned as adults to have the tools they need to get the jobs they want.
"It was something that just kind of felt different than other centers, kind of something that was different with our curriculum," said Savageau.
The curriculum focuses on the six ages and stages of early childhood development including infants, toddlers, twaddlers, preppers, preschoolers and kindergarteners.
Their next section is focusing on sports.
If you're interested in signing your child up to attend The Learning Experience, click here for more information.
