Silver City, Nevada – Silver City’s annual free program focusing on “STEAM” skills – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math – attracted about 50 different children, teens and adults from throughout the Comstock region during its 8 week span this summer. See the bottom of this article for photo highlights.
The program included something for everyone, with activities, special events, and workshops designed to engage preschoolers, elementary age children, teens, and adults.
Educational events included a well-attended bike safety rodeo with Western Safe Routes to Schools, a literacy “fun fair” with United Way for preschoolers and their parents, hands-on engineering activities with Society of Women Engineers, painting lessons with award winning artist Karen Kreyeski, a field trip to see Romeo and Juliet at Lake Tahoe, and rocket making and water science experiments with University Nevada Cooperative Extension.
In cooperation with the new Resident Artist Program in Silver City, visiting artist Brian Schorn offered free workshops for teens and adults on writing, Surrealist art techniques, and sound ecology that received rave reviews from attendees.
Program organizer Quest Lakes explained that the community of Silver City, which is located within a National Historic Landmark encompassing the Comstock region, launched the popular summer program in 2003. She noted that outreach to a wider age-range was added this year with additional funding, in part, through a federal Safe Schools Healthy Students grant through Healthy Communities Coalition and SAPTA.
The program is an example of multi-sector partnerships, with work and/or funding contributions from many Silver City volunteers and donors, nonprofits like Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey, county departments such as Lyon County Parks, Buildings and Grounds, and many regional groups, such as University Nevada Cooperative Extension, Western Safe Routes to Schools, Society of Women Engineers, the D.G. Menchetti Young Shakespeare Program, United Way, Resident Artist Program in Silver City, etc.
For additional information, contact Quest Lakes at (775) 287-7598.
The summer program reaches ages pre-K to elders with free programming. Pictured here, United Way funded and led a literacy fun fair for parents and their preschoolers this summer.
In a partnership with the Resident Artist Program in Silver City, the annual summer program expanded to include workshops for adults and teens with visiting artist Brian Schorn.
Seena Drapala from the Society of Women Engineers led lessons that encourage innovation and problem solving.
Silver City artist Karen Kreyeski offered free drawing and painting classes. Pictured here, students enjoyed a class in the park entitled, “Painting with the Spirit of Nature: Free Form Techniques Using Water, Sand and Salt.”
Jim Barcellos of UNCE congratulates a youngster for her successful rocket launch during an activity designed to teach about trajectory.
Kids learned road rules and safety and received new bike helmets during a bike rodeo with Western Safe Routes to School.