EAST PROVIDENCE – Before the governor and other officials arrived at the Fuller Creative Learning Center on Thursday, 9-year-old Marisol Chipel and her little sister, Lorena, had already sent their tiny, wheeled robot charging into battle like a medieval knight.
But the wooden lance that the device carried failed in its first round to puncture any of the balloons mounted on the dozen other Michelin Man wannabes whirling about the floor. So off to the sidelines the sisters sent their computerized contraption as they discussed alternative strategies.
“They are analyzing what was good and rebuilding and redesigning,” said their mother, Naomi, as she watched happily nearby.
The robot-battle project was one of a series of week-long programs at the former town library being funded this summer through a learning initiative Gov. Dan McKee is calling Learn365RI.
The initiative is aimed at expanding learning opportunities for children beyond the traditional classroom and raise their educational skill levels.
Communities around the state shared in a $3.8-million initial grant earmarked for such projects as academic tutoring in South Kingstown, a summer reading project in Newport, and mentoring and financial aid application assistance in Burrillville and Central Falls.
East Providence received about $340,000, with a portion of that money going to expanding the existing summer educational programs at the learning center.
“It’s a great thing,” said Ryan McCauley, the center’s program coordinator. “Half of the grant went to one-on-one tutoring for kids in need in East Providence and the other half went to programs like this. All to enhance [children’s] further education and give them accessibilities and opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have.”
Usually such summer programs at the learning center run for only a day, McCauley said. But through the grant, the center is offering free, week-long classes, each running for a couple of hours a day and focusing on science, technology, engineering or mathematics.
Emily McKenzie was another parent watching, as her 8-year-old daughter, Willow, and her partner directed their robot into balloon battle with a tablet.
She said of the program “I really like it because it gives us the opportunity we wouldn’t otherwise have, centered on STEM stuff. And it’s free.”
McKee visited the center during National Summer Learning Week with several other officials, including Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green and East Providence Mayor Roberto DaSilva.
After watching the robot spar, they followed the 18 children out into the parking lot, where instructor Brad Cabral, dressed in a blue t-shirt reading: “STEM is my super power” demonstrated how to fire off soda bottle rockets fueled with baking soda and vinegar.
“Are you excited or what?” a jovial McKee asked the children as Cabral set the first plastic bottle down on the pavement for liftoff.
“Is that the same vinegar you’d put on your French fries?” the governor joked.
After a couple of malfunctions, the first rocket shot about 20 feet into the air, followed by squeals of delight.
Soon the aroma of vinegar wafted over the parking lot – and the assembled dignitaries and media representatives.
DaSilva backed away from the launchpad: “I don’t want to smell like vinegar later.”
Afterwards, speaking with reporters, McKee used a rocket analogy to say his LEARN365RI initiative was launching, too.
“The hard work is actually liftoff, and that’s what we’re doing here. We’re doing a liftoff of 365 .... making sure that in every home, every day, learning matters, and we’re going to continue that messaging.”
As the children stashed away their plastic soda bottle rockets and protective eyeglasses, Mayor DaSilva’s voice carried across the parking lot: “Good job boys and girls. You guys are future rocket scientists.”
Contact Tom Mooney at: tmooney@providencejournal.com
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