Whether it’s building the Millennium Falcon or a walking robot, Legos can be used for educational purposes and as an outlet for teaching technology.
Chandler-based educational enrichment program company Bonanza Educational, LLC is providing a multitude of programs for students and the community to learn topics that aren’t always taught in schools, including an Intro to Engineering class using Lego pieces.
“Our main purpose is to bring out-of-school educational programs that focus on teaching children next generation economy skills,” Bonanza Educational, LLC managing partner Jeremy Scott said.
The programs focus on creativity, communication, and collaboration. “The future worker in the U.S. is going to need to do those three things while using technology,” Scott said.
Programs can range from a single-day workshop to a multi-class several week program. Altogether, the programs serve over 10,000 kids a year.
“We have partnerships with over half of the Valley area school districts,” Scott said. The company also has partnerships with several city parks and recreation programs as well as other community partners. These partnerships range from open to the public classes at a school to programs where the school handpicks the students.
READ: AZ educational game projects help virtual classrooms teach real skills
Classes focus on areas of stop motion animation, where students learn how to use iPads, movie editing programs and animation software, and the physical and computer side of programming. “We use Lego robotics to teach them basic computer programming principles,” Scott said. “Lego is a very flexible media that can be very art-focused or very technology-focused.”
Legos are used in over 60 percent of what they do, according to Scott.
The company began their pilot program in fall 2009, and has since grown to offering roughly 1,000 programs a year.
“Programs are always changing and evolving with changes in technology and teaching methods,” Scott said.
Bonanza Educational works out of coworking space Gangplank in Chandler. “Gangplank has been very influential in our growth,” Scott said. They are currently the largest employer in the Gangplank Arizona system.
Find out if you school system has these after school programs here.
For more community tech news, click here.
