Wayne Public Library recently applied for and received the 2022 ARPA Youth Grant for Excellence to expand their collection of educational toys and add more STEAM-specific toys for in-house use in the Children's Room.
STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking.
The library was granted $650 in funding and purchased a variety of new toys such as Snap Circuits, sorting games, Keva Brain Builders, and more.
"One of the most exciting additions to the toy collection is Cubetto: a friendly wooden robot that will teach your child the basics of computer programming through adventure and hands-on play," said Sharon Carr, Adult Services Librarian.
Through a competitive grant process, the Nebraska Library Commission made this funding available specifically for innovative projects for children and young adults in legally established public libraries, tribal libraries, and institutional libraries in Nebraska.
This year's funding is provided from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), as administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). ARPA is the result of the federal stimulus bill passed by Congress.
"Please stop by the library on Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. to play, enjoy snacks, and learn about some of the other recent additions to our collection: Launchpad learning tablets, voiced books, and their expanded youth Playaway collection.
Tablets, voiced books, and Playaways are all available for checkout and take-home use. Toys are available for in-house use only, but local educators do have the opportunity to borrow toys for classroom and learning scenarios.
For more information or questions about the event, please stop by the library or give them a call at 402-375-3135.
