Latest news with #Makerspace
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
West Wickham library transformation to be unveiled with café and business lounge
A major library transformation is set to be unveiled following a multi-million-pound refurbishment. West Wickham Library will reopen to the public on Friday, June 27, following extensive works that include a modern café, business lounge, and an expanded children's library with outdoor space. Councillor Yvonne Bear, Bromley Council's executive councillor for renewal, recreation and housing, said: "I'm sure residents passing by during the works have been curious about this landmark building as it has taken form in the heart of West Wickham and I encourage residents to soon explore the impressive new facilities firsthand. "We use libraries throughout our lives and not just for books, which is why the council have long supported the borough's beloved library network. "Recent improvements across our libraries continue to drive their popularity, while ensuring they have the resources needed to support residents long into the future." Multi-million-pound refurbishment transforms landmark West Wickham Library (Image: West Wickham Library) West Wickham is the fifth library in the borough to be refurbished as part of more than £30 million of investment aimed at modernising facilities and reducing future maintenance costs. A highlight of the new library is the first Makerspace in a Bromley library, offering 3D printers, a die cutter, and sewing machines to support innovation and entrepreneurship. This facility was made possible by more than £1 million in funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The library also features new bookable areas, including a community space and business lounge, public toilets on each floor, and additional work and study zones. The project has already attracted industry recognition, having been shortlisted for Best Retrofit Project in the Building London Planning Awards. First Bromley library Makerspace features 3D printers and sewing tools (Image: West Wickham Library) To mark the reopening, Bromley Council is inviting residents to join in a day of activities on June 27, from 11.30am to 5pm. The celebrations will include craft workshops, art sessions, and a children's event with author Peter Bently. The Mayor will officially open the library at 11am. The library will be operated by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), the charitable social enterprise that runs all of Bromley's libraries. Rebecca Gediking, head of libraries at GLL, said: "It has been a privilege to work with the London Borough of Bromley to renovate and refurbish West Wickham Library. "GLL libraries are some of the highest performing across the UK with Bromley Libraries lending the highest number of books in London for the last two years. "We cannot wait to open the new West Wickham Library which captures all of the magic of the old library whilst inspiring and supporting a new generation of readers." The refurbishment was delivered alongside the construction of 26 new affordable homes on a nearby car park site, part of the council's Bromley homes for Bromley people programme. The housing development, which supported the library project, is expected to be completed later this year. Three alternative council car parks are available within a ten-minute walk of the library. Bromley Council's wider library improvement programme continues, with refurbishments currently underway at Chislehurst, Mottingham, and Orpington libraries. Plans are also progressing to relocate Bromley Central Library to a new high street location, with further details to be announced in due course.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
McClain Delaney: Federal funding 'key' to community programs
LAVALE — With the help of federal funding, the Western Maryland Works Makerspace over the past few years prepared students to enter the workforce, and helped local businesses thrive. After local manufacturing plants closed, WMW trained roughly 60 displaced employees for new jobs in the area. In a setting where art meets science, the program matches people who want lucrative jobs with companies that need skilled workers. 'Federal dollars play a key role,' Rep. April McClain Delaney said. 'It's incredibly important.' McClain Delaney — member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Maryland's 6th congressional district — toured the Makerspace Thursday. The 33,000-square-foot center is owned and operated by Allegany College of Maryland. The Makerspace provides advanced manufacturing and workforce development for the region with cutting-edge training for students in fields such as machine tool technology, welding and robotics. During the tour, McClain Delaney talked to three WMW students. 'They love what they're doing,' she said. 'This is the hope,' McClain Delaney said of kids who, after high school graduation, want to stay in the community and secure jobs that pay well. 'I wish there was more like this,' she said of the WMW program, which gives students 'skills that often AI can't replace.' MakerspaceIn addition to training students, the Makerspace offers local residents scheduled use of tools including 3D printers and laser engravers. The building features more than $8 million worth of equipment, said Tom McInroy, WMW's dean of continuing education and workforce development. WMW Director Shawn Orourke said the facility has plans to expand its welding machinery for public use. WMW Director Shawn Orourke Western Maryland Works Director Shawn Orourke The Makerspace has industrial and technical tools and instructional programs for hobbyists, students and entrepreneurs, he said. 'We want to work on all levels,' Orourke said. 'We're trying to develop classes to meet (the needs of) everybody.' FundingMcClain Delaney said she's concerned about how the Trump administration's federal funding cuts could impact the facility and countless other programs and agencies, people and communities. 'I am furious ... it's nonsensical,' McClain Delaney said. 'It's gonna cost us more money in the long run.' She talked of threats to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid services. 'All of these things together ... it's destabilizing our country,' McClain Delaney said. 'All of these things matter.'
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Combination of fun, learning leads to national award for Freeman's Jodi Neuharth
Jan. 27—FREEMAN, S.D. — Jodi Neuharth's preschool and junior kindergarten room at Freeman Elementary School was quiet during a recent school day afternoon as her young students took their nap time. But it was only a few minutes ago that her students were hard at work exploring the arctic or studying the lives of the pioneers. All the while, they were also absorbing lessons on reading and, particularly, mathematics. Neuharth, who lives near Olivet but is originally from Ethan, recently received recognition for her methods in teaching mathematics when she was named as a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science from the National Science Foundation. The award recipients were announced earlier this month. Neuharth, who is in her 17th year of teaching, said it was both an honor and a surprise to receive the award. "I was super-excited to be a finalist. As a finalist, you're hopeful, but then when I got the email, I was like, 'Whoa. Like it's almost not real,'" Neuharth told the Mitchell Republic. "I'm very honored." Neuharth, 38 and a graduate of Dakota State University in Madison, has spent the last two years teaching all subjects for second grade at Freeman Public School but transitioned to teaching preschool and junior kindergarten this year. She had previously taught second grade at the Garretson School District for 12 years and taught reading and mathematics interventions at the Baltic School District for her first two years of teaching. She may have changed school districts a handful of times over the years, but her dedication to teaching has remained the same. She works to incorporate special projects into her curriculum, providing hands-on activities which bring learning alive for her students. She has developed and organized after-school learning events for her second graders, such as a "Pioneer Night" at the public park, using Makerspace, coding for her class and bringing in speakers for her students. That tradition continues even now as she heads up her classroom of even younger students, with lessons based around the exploration of the North Pole and South Pole and time spent discussing the hardships of the pioneers who settled the area. "It is an extreme amount of work, but when you can take the learning you have to do and mix in the fun with it it is very validating that you can teach and have fun at the same time and have the kids learn," Neuharth said. Neuharth is technically a 2022 recipient of the award, with COVID-19 having derailed the application review process and delayed the announcement for that year's recipients until just recently. She has since moved on from the second grade where she utilized the methods that earned her the recognition, but her lauded methods have remained in somewhat simpler form to accommodate the learning curve of her young students. She teaches many reading and math skills by incorporating them into a classroom exploration of the world with the students acting as "scientists." Lessons about the arctic and antarctic regions of the world dovetail into simple math problems. "I had taken and made paper icicles, and so then they were scientists. So we dressed up in lab coats, and we were in Antarctica, just researching. Researching penguins, researching all sorts of stuff," Neuharth said. "I try to do all inclusive units where there's a little math, science, reading, social studies." Neuharth would leave the paper icicles out for the students to find when they came to class in the morning. She would tell them the "overnight scientists" had found the icicles and it was up to the students to take accurate measurements on their length. That morning surprise and the work that followed kept the students engaged and excited about learning, she said. The arctic setting for the lessons gives them an exotic but familiar feel, with the cold and snow of South Dakota's winter right outside their window. "And so then all the kids went to town and they measured all their icicles and they worked together to collect their data and see how the icicles had changed. It's all about that excitement," Neuharth said. "It feels like the arctic right now, and living in South Dakota, you come back from Christmas and it's just easy to talk about now. And then what kid doesn't love penguins?" Neuharth also teaches sections that embrace multi-subject learning. The kids also get to explore the lives of the pioneers who settled the area in the 1800s. In other activities, the students become postal workers who deliver Valentines. Or they may be doctors learning about the human body. She enjoys making the lessons fun for her students because she was once a young student herself, and the classroom was always an environment she enjoyed and she enjoyed being around young learners. Her mother, she recalled, used to provide learning lessons for her as she grew up on her parents' dairy farm. "I babysat all the time as a kid, and I remember playing with my siblings. But when I didn't get to be with the teacher, then I played school with my stuffed animals. And I've always wanted to teach," Neuharth said. "I loved to learn and play, and play and learn. And that's why I teach the way I do." That philosophy has anchored her teaching for the past 17 years and has served as an asset to the various districts with which she has served. Katie Juhnke, who serves as K-6 and colony principal for the Freeman School District, said her approach continues to benefit the students in her classroom. Her connection with Neuharth goes beyond the teacher-principal relationship, having known Neuharth for years even prior to her joining the Freeman district. "Jodi really excels at creating a hands-on, engaging learning environment that encourages her students to think critically and explore beyond the basics. While she prioritizes meeting academic standards, her creative teaching methods make learning fun and meaningful," Juhnke said. "She also takes the time to truly know her students, ensuring their individual needs are met while maintaining excellent communication with parents." The award comes with a certificate signed by the President, a trip to Washington, D.C. to celebrate the accomplishment as well as participate in professional development activities with fellow STEM educators from around the country. It also comes with $10,000 for Neuharth to use as she sees fit. Neuharth said she sees herself teaching well into the future, and there is likely more exploration in store for her students. Whether that takes them to the North Pole, South Pole or beyond remains to be seen, but Neuharth said she would continue working to engage her students in fun lessons that help them learn. "I don't want to have the exact same lesson over and over. I personally love learning, so I love to go out and learn. What else can I learn? What else can I incorporate? Every year I try to add something or change something or make my teaching better. Because it's fun for me, but it's also beneficial for the kids."
