This summer allows a wonderful opportunity to continue to get kids involved in STEAM. Even though classes are out for the summer doesn't mean students have to stop exploring STEAM outlets. Luckily enough there are resources both in-person and online for our students to continue to learn. Bio::Neos thought it would be helpful to compile a list for parents and students with STEAM resources both in-person and online. 

In-Person:
The largest camp will be Kirkwood KICK. Kirkwood KICK stands for, Kirkwood Interactive Campus for Kids. This camp allows students to be on Kirkwood’s Campus and they have a large catalog of classes. These classes range in price and length. Check out their catalog to view the full list of classes! 

The Iowa Children Museum is also offering STEAM summer camps! The camps are targeted at children’s age groups and have camps for children from Kindergarten through 6th Grade. The camps at the Children's Museum are a full afternoon and cost an average of $55. You can learn more on their website. 

The most accessible product for continued STEAM education are through online platforms. We have compiled a list of our favorite, free, online resources that are great for a new programmer. 

Online Resources: 
Our first recommendation would be Kahn Academy, an American non-profit with a massive catalog of self-directed lessons. Kahn Academy offers courses on science, math, grammar, technology, and more for grades K-12 along with SAT & college prep. You can find supplemental courses and full courses depending on the topic. They have many learn-to-code programs, along with prep for the next grade courses. 

Following Kahn Academy would be Code.org. Code.org is a free online platform that is self-directed learning how to program. These are introductory courses to beginner programming languages that can be completed by anyone at any age. Code.org offers many 'hour of code' courses that are directed to children’s interests such as Minecraft and AI. 

ScratchJr is a free app for download on Google Play or the Apple app store. Scratch Jr is created for kids to learn how to code using the building block method. Building the code will generate a direct output for the children to see exactly how their code does (or doesn’t) work. Scratch also has a paid version for kids ready for more. Scratch is now the world's largest free coding community for kids and was created by a scientist at MIT. To learn and discover more you can visit their website. 

Continued Adult Learning: 
Beyond these resources, we have a few online learning resources for adults as well. You never stop learning and might as well learn what you want! A largely underutilized resource is LinkedIn Learning. Accessed directly through your LinkedIn account, you have access to learn hundreds of skills that you commonly need in the workplace. These courses range from learning about programs such as Microsoft all the way to Cloud Computing and beyond. LinkedIn Learning is free or low-cost depending on your plan and your affiliations. 

Last but most certainly not least would be the learning platform brought to you by Harvard University, Harvard X. This online platform gives you 100% free access to courses brought to you by Harvard. With courses beyond and not limited to programming, you can discover, python, statistics, architecture, neuroscience, and more. These courses are free with some having optional upgrades that you can pay for. The only difference with the paid course is being able to get a certificate of completion along with graded assignments. Harvard X is a great way for adults to learn and explore new outlets, especially for those considering going back to school. 

Links:


Kirkwood KICK: https://view.publitas.com/kirkwood-community-college/2022-kick-summer-ca...

Iowa City Children Museum Summer Camps: https://theicm.org/exhibitsprograms/camps/gclid=Cj0KCQjwhLKUBhDiARIsAMaT...

Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/

Code: https://code.org/

Scratch Learning from MIT: https://scratch.mit.edu/

LinkedIn Learning: https://www.linkedin.com/learning

Harvard X: https://www.edx.org/school/harvardx