48°
Summer campers picked a favorite place or fictitious location in the village and replicated it using cardboard, conductive paint, LED lights, copper tape and other materials. Other places included ice cream shops, swimming pools and soccer stadiums. Their work was brought together to create a mini Mamaroneck, which is on display at the Westchcester Children’s Museum at Playland in Rye now through Sept. 5.
“We really incorporated the more STEM aspects once we introduced the circuitry,” said Mimi Zimmer, who interns at the camp and graduated from Mamaroneck High School in June as valedictorian. “We did some basic lessons on circuitry and then a lot of the kids were inspired to incorporate that into their projects.”
Co-Op Camp’s “Our Community: Engineering Art” project was done through a national initiative called Makers Corps, which tries to help youth develop their confidence, creativity and an interest in building and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).
Jonas Varela, 11, built a three-floor home with steps and LED lights using all the materials available to him.
“I’m actually really impressed,” he said of his cardboard creation. “I think I did a good job. I think I put a lot of effort into it.”
The incoming sixth-grader at Hommocks Middle School also built a Keva plank pile in a tall circle, which he said he wants to make touch the ceiling of the school’s technology room when it’s done. It has 840 planks right now, and he said he needs to hit more than 1,000.
Zimmer and Mamaroneck High School class of 2012 graduate Joseph Kaplan are both Maker Corps interns working with Co-Op Camp, which wraps up Friday. The camp partnered with the Chidlren’s Museum to display the students work, which Zimmer said serves as a, “bridge between our students and the larger community.
“To us, a community-based project would not be complete without displaying the final product for fellow community members,” she said.
The school district learned of Maker Corps through the STEM Alliance of Larchmont-Mamaroneck.
The Children’s Museum is on the Boardwalk at the North Bath House of Playland and is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and noon to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free and visitors should park in Playland’s Main Lot.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Mamaroneck and receive free news updates.
