As part of our project with National Grid to distribute our engineering Try It! Kits to families across Massachusetts, we are excited to share a recent distribution event supporting youth through the Office for Refugees and Immigrants.
With National Grid’s support, we’ve partnered with charities, outreach groups and school districts to provide engaging, hands-on STEM learning kits to children across the metro region this holiday season. We’re thrilled to bring our at-home engineering activities to young learners and their families, including a number of Afghan students, ages 4-10, who receive services from the Massachusetts ORI. ORI supports services that meet the cultural and linguistic needs of refugees and immigrants through a network of service providers in the state.
“Refugee youths can learn very quickly so these kits can help them learn the arts of assembling these pieces together and have fun at the same time,” Mary Truong, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants, said of the donation.
Try It! Kits enhance our print or digital storybooks with mini design challenges that explore STEM concepts that kids experience in the storybooks—like how to design a parachute or a windmill! Try It! Kits include all of the materials a child needs to complete the design challenge, with instructions in both English and Spanish.
The gifted kits to OIR were distributed at the office’s in-person Refugees town hall meetings in Lowell & Worcester.
“Youths that received them were curious at first what the kit’s content is about and [then] they looked forward to putting it together,” Truong said.
We’ll share more about the recipients of National Grid’s generous donation soon. Keep an eye on the blog for more of their stories, and other resources!
