You might have noticed a blue newspaper box on the Library's front porch. This is a STEMonade Stand™, your portal for STEM project kits to do at home.
What's Inside
Inside the Stand you will find kits sealed in zip-top bags with instructions and STEM connections. (For the uninitiated, STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Math.) Previous kits include:
- Paper Circuits
- Thaumatropes
- Crystal Spiders
- Pipe Cleaner Ninjas
We will do our best to keep the Stand stocked, but supplies are limited. Please be kind and take only what you need.
Contact
Questions? Contact us at stemonade@mgpl.org or 847-965-4220.
Please feel free to email us if you would like printable versions of our STEMonade booklets.
Interested in starting your own STEMonade Stand™? You are welcome to join the STEMonade initiative! We just ask that you credit the Morton Grove Public Library.
The STEMonade Initiative
Life certainly gave us lemons with the Covid-19 pandemic. In the "before times," the Youth Services department was known for hands-on programs that introduced children and families to science, art, math, and engineering. We've been building projects and connections with some of our young patrons for their entire lives. Suddenly, that all changed.
Led by Youth Services librarian Jess Alexander, the Morton Grove Public Library created the STEMonade initiative during the 2020 Illinois stay-at-home order. Our mission is to support the Morton Grove community with fun and free educational experiences. To that end, we endeavor to get STEM kits into the hands of our local families.
The STEMonade Stand™ went live on June 15, 2020, with 110 "Grow Your Own Lettuce" kits. Since then, we've distributed more than 19,000 project kits.
If MGPL can nurture a love of building and learning in our community, then we're still connected, even during a pandemic. Life gave us lemons, but we made STEMonade.