TAMPA, Fla. — Hundreds of families gathered at Apollo Academy in Tampa this week to put a new twist on a classic toy, LEGOS. It’s the latest in STEAM education.
“From LEGO robotics, you’re programming, your coding, your building, your engineering, your designing, to the creative arts, LEGO stop motion, animation storytelling, film making, you can do all of those things with LEGOS, art mosaics, free build, they are just an amazing learning tool,” said Nicholle Walton-Durban, with ESTEAM Learning Labs.
Walton-Durban co-founded ESTEAM Learning Labs in Texas five years ago, but this is the first time they have branched out to Tampa Bay.
“One of our passions is really ensuring that we have access for all learners right, so we go into communities, we identify areas that may be lacking, and then we customize programming specifically to that community,” said Walton-Durban.
While the event was held at Apollo Academy, you didn’t have to be a student to attend, it was open to all families. Even more camps are scheduled at the academy for this summer.
“I want families to grow together, be lifelong learners together, to remain curious together, and if you set that foundation early on and over time, that just creates a lot of confidence, a lot of curiosity, and a lot of family experiences that I think are hard to find today,” said Beth Ann Valavanis, founder of Apollo Academy.
“So our son loves LEGOS, so this was an easy yes and knowing that he loves to construct and build and just seeing him get to meet new people,” said Tampa's mom, Amy Lee.
Parents said they hear about STEM and STEAM programs more and more, but some schools are at the forefront while others are not.
“She has a hard time sitting at a desk, so because of the way this program works, she is able to take charge of her own learning,” said Tampa mom Monique Shamblin, whose daughter attended the camp.
Walton-Durban hopes these families take what they learned home and apply it in their own households.
“My own children have influenced a lot of my programming, their areas of interest, and then they take it home and take it further than we even imagine,” said Walton-Durban.
Students said they’ll never look at their favorite toy quite the same.
“Its a lot of fun, there’s like a bunch of creative things that you can do with LEGOS,” said a student named Sophia.
