The Dallas Public Library will continue to hold science, technology, engineering, arts, and math programs at five of its branches thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Association for Library Service to Children.

The library system was one of 12 recipients around the nation of ALSC’s Strengthening Communities Through Libraries mini-grants. 

“We are calling it STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) and Snacks,” Dallas Library Out-of-School-Time Manager Amy Priour said. “STEAM and Snacks is an important way for the library to enhance its children’s programming beyond reading literacy to reflect a critical 21st-century science and technology component.”

The program is designed to be age- and skill-set appropriate for elementary school students.

Priour, who created the program’s curriculum and structure, said STEAM and Snacks is available at the Hampton-Illinois, Prairie Creek, Timberglen, Audelia Road, and Highland Hills branches.

Activities are based on experiments and hands-on projects meant to reinforce specific and cross-curricular STEAM topics through activities such as roller coaster building, coding practice, chess strategy, storytelling, and electronic inventions, the release said.

“It gives them something fun … it’s educational, but it’s a lot of fun.”
AMY PRIOUR

Instructors discuss possible career paths associated with each activity, and invite children to discuss skills and areas of study needed to enter each field.

STEAM and Snacks also aims to underscore the role that scientific experimentation and critical thinking play in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math career planning.

Priour said that in the past couple weeks the branches have hosted from 12 to 45 kids at each session, depending on the branch.

“It gives them something fun … it’s educational, but it’s a lot of fun,” she said.

No advance registration is required. Check the library branches’ calendars for times and dates.

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