Using the laptops provided, students begin to learn about and explore basic computer science concepts. “The computer software is designed especially for Legos and is icon based, which means there is no reading or text.” This is a feature of the program that definitely makes it accessible to kindergarteners as well, Margolis said. “Once the kids program the robot to move forward, backward and turn, we then add sensors for the robot to be able to sense the environment, such as a color sensor so the robot can follow lines.” Margolis offers after school workshops that are conveniently held right on elementary school campuses. These enrichment classes are available for first grade through sixth grade students and run for eight weeks for one hour per week. The cost to parents is $145 to $160. In addition, he offers half-day summer camps for $150 at recreation centers in El Cerrito, Hercules and Albany. These classes are every day for five days for kids 7 to 13 years old. Over the past five years of bridging the science gap for hundreds of kids, Margolis admitted he began to see a trend among many of the families of the kids he was teaching. “I noticed that all the kids whose parents I was working with were of a demographic that were highly educated and usually affluent,” he said. “After being in teaching and being aware of the Title One children and their needs and the STEM gap, I really felt I needed to do something to kind of establish parity between kids who had the economic wherewithal to pay for my classes and the kids who didn’t.” While looking for a school in a low income area to approach with his idea, Margolis happened to meet Barbara Penny-James, Principal of Ford Elementary School. “She is very excited about having science and anything related to STEM in her school,” he said. “I made a presentation to the school site council; they voted on it and gave me a grant to run the program at Ford Elementary.” Margolis held nearly forty workshops over a 12 day period from April 13 to May 22 of this year, and was able to teach close to 450 of Ford Elementary students. “It was a proof of concept to see whether or not we can do in school, in class workshops using the existing school bell structure without disrupting the daily flow, and at the same time get the entire school doing beginning engineering and computer science. It was great and the teachers were very pleased,” described Margolis. With the success he had teaching his robotics classes to the children at Ford Elementary, Margolis said he knows he’ll be able to do the same thing but on a regular basis at other schools. “I’m setting up a non-profit with the goal of bringing 21st century engineering and computer science to kids who would not normally have it since it is not a part of the curriculum and their families do not have funds for enrichment classes,” he said. Wanting to initially reach out to five Title One elementary schools, Margolis said he is “looking for funds from donors and grants to be able to achieve the goal of having a school site science and engineering manager that could provide the materials, expertise and support to help the teachers.” august 2015 MARKETPLACEcontrac osta .com 27
Contra Costa Marketplace - Aug 2015
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