Neighbor News
Cox Charities Grant Awarded to RSM Friends of the Library Robotics Program
A new program at RSM Friends of the Library will explore the world of Robotics through a program funded by a Cox Charities Nonprofit grant.
Rancho Santa Margarita Friends of the Library would like to share some exciting news about an award from the 2017 Cox Charities Nonprofit Grant submission. The Grant ($5,000) will fund a program called Coding
with Sphero that will introduce children and teens to the world of robots and coding in a fun and creative way. Sphero SPRK is an app powered spherical robot that enables learning through interaction and play and is adaptable for coders of all skills--beginners, intermediate, and pros. The Sphero can paint, navigate mazes, dance and even swim. Children and teens will code commands through the Sphero app to instruct the robot to perform a variety of tasks, allowing for many opportunities to utilize their imaginations.
This program will include a series of workshops geared towards youths of different age and coding skill levels. Since Sphero SPRK is an educational tool that encourages collaboration, activities will focus on inspiring children and teens to share ideas and work as a team. Attendees will create physical obstacle courses from a variety of materials (tape, wood planks, and tubes etc), then use tablets to write code to direct their robots to navigate the mazes. Children and teens will discover how technology and the arts interact through exploration
and innovation, using the SPRK robots to paint, dance, and play.
Coding with Sphero is a great addition to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) activities, promoting creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Please watch for upcoming
announcements regarding the timing and details of the program.
Friends of the Rancho Santa Margarita Library is proud to collaborate with Cox Charities. Combined with a company match, Cox Charities is funded and administered by employees. To date, Cox Charities has contributed more than $5.5 million back into the community through grants for nonprofit organizations, scholarships for students, and support for programs that improve the quality of life for Southern California families.
