SHINE Afterschool Program Opens Makerspace at Slatington Elementary

Schnecksville, Pa., Aug. 8, 2023 – In partnership with the Northern Lehigh School District, Lehigh Carbon Community College’s SHINE program will dedicate the new Makerspace at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Aug. 14, at Slatington Elementary School. The community is invited to attend.

During the school day, the district uses the space with its own STEAM curriculum, which emphasizes hands-on learning. In the afternoon and evenings, SHINE (Schools and Homes in Education) uses it for project-based STEM activities as part of the afterschool program. A makerspace is a collaborative work area to encourage making, exploring, learning and sharing that uses high-tech or no-tech tools. Students have access to a 3D printer, laser cutter, CNC machines, soldering irons and other equipment that is used in a variety of projects. The equipment is available for all students to use, not just those enrolled in SHINE.

These makerspace tools encourage students to envision, design and build new and exciting creations while boosting their self-confidence, teamwork and critical thinking skills. In makerspaces students take hands-on learning to the next level through innovation and creating something new, often the first step toward entrepreneurship and business start-ups.

LCCC also has makerspaces at the LCCC Tamaqua site in the Morgan Center and on the main campus in Science Hall.

SHINE is more than an afterschool program. It is a holistic approach to education that supports a student’s success both in and out of the classroom through the connection of schools, homes and communities. The program is designed to be a seamless network of educational and social services that helps students achieve their potential.

For more information on SHINE or the Makerspaces, contact Rachel Strucko, Director of SHINE, at 570-225-7245 or rkmiller@lccc.edu.