Paula D’Amico is in the Town of Tonawanda at Engineering for Kids. This place caters to kids whose wheels are always turning. Leo Kusti, director of operations, Engineering for Kids says we have actually been in Buffalo for over five years, and we would generally go to schools, we’d visit with different after school programs and different camps and we have our own brick and mortar. He says typically our classes are 15 kids per class. They have a teacher and an assistant for their classes. Leo says we thrive on the hands-on experience when we are actually working with kids one-on-one and allowing the kids to work together with other people, so there’s teamwork and there’s cooperation going on and also, they are able to communicate what they are doing which really helps with learning.
Paula D’Amico says the kids here tonight used simple materials to make a water-powered boat, with things you would find at home like a Solo cup and straw and even a Styrofoam tray.
Leo says when it comes to engineering some kids know they are really good at it and they like doing it, and they are very hungry for what they are doing, and you see that all the time, and in every class you are going to have a kid who’s really into designing and asking questions they are really into improving things and we see that a lot especially in older kids. He says that’s one of the things we like to focus on too, is that critical thinking and getting into the mind of that, not to say that you can’t do it when you are younger, you definitely notice it when kids are young and they are ready to do some engineering, they’re ready to problem solve, they’re ready to try new things and we see that especially when we are teaching kids who have never been exposed to engineering. Leo says they realize, ‘oh this is something I really do enjoy, this is something I want to keep doing’ and that’s one of the things, with COVID, I feel like we weren’t able to reach as many kids but know kids are opening up and they are saying, I’ve been inside so much, let’s try something new and trying engineering is definitely beneficial in all walks of life, I feel like.
For more information go to engineeringforkids.com/Buffalo.
