Boys & Girls Club of Laguna gets new innovation lab
The children, tweens and teens of the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach have been fully immersed in the wonders of technology of late.
A new innovation lab has been the source, providing the club’s members with a slew of new items to pique their curiosity. Among the amenities, the club added five computers, four iPads, a projector, 11 monitors, and a Nintendo Switch gaming console and games.
The innovation lab transformed a first-floor room in the facility with the help of a $20,000 grant from Cox Communications. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the upgrades was held on Oct. 4.
“We are incredibly grateful for Cox Communications’ investment in our young people’s lives and futures through this revitalized innovation lab,” Pam Estes, chief executive of the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach, said in a statement. “We are excited to be able to inspire and encourage the next generation of innovators in this cutting-edge STEAM space to develop the critical thinking skills and creativity to solve unforeseen challenges that the future will hold.”
The technology-filled space includes 3D printers, microscopes and a video production suite. There have also been five Sphero robots added for coding.
“We’re committed to supporting STEM opportunities for children so they can stay connected, live, learn and pursue careers in our increasingly digital world,” Colleen Dillaway, Orange County market vice president of Cox Communications, stated in a news release. “Cox Innovation Labs allow students to access exciting tools to advance their tech-literacy skills and explore unknown possibilities.”
Kelsi Briggs, the club’s program director, said the room underwent a complete refurbishment. Tables were installed with whiteboard tops to assist kids with working on their homework along with cabinets for storage, and the room was repainted.
“We’ve had kids come in who will just stare at the 3D printer that’s already printing something,” Briggs said in a phone interview Thursday. “They’re just so amazed by it, and they want to know, ‘How did you do that?’ Then our education director will invite them to come to 3D printing to see how it’s done.
“It’s opened the door for so many other kids who weren’t exposed to coding or technology-based anything before, and now they’re wanting to come in, and now they’re learning about it.”
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