Congresswoman experiences STEAM programming with area youth

ALDIE, VIRGINIA, USA, October 9, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ -- LOUDON COUNTY, VA – On Friday, Oct. 6, U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA) donned a purple lei and embarked on a STEAM-filled rainforest adventure. Comstock visited youth at Minnieland Kirkpatrick to experience Challenge Island, an enrichment program that combines science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) curriculum with social-emotional learning.

“Congresswoman Comstock has been a huge champion for STEAM education, and we are honored to welcome her into our Challenge Island tribe,” said Tracy Kay, owner of Challenge Island Ashburn-Leesburg.

Nationwide, Challenge Island brings important STEAM and cross-curricular programming to kids from all backgrounds by partnering with schools, nonprofit organizations and 21st Century Learning Centers.

Unlike other STEM-based programs, Challenge Island focuses on hands-on, project-based learning that gets kids away from their digital devices. Kids break into teams, or “tribes,” to solve challenges together, a model that assures the healthy social development of every child.

During Rainforest Island at Minnieland Kirkpatrick, for example, children worked together using their own creativity to design a sky-high playground where monkeys could play happily on the canopy layer far above the dangerous forest floor. The kids witnessed engineering in action while also learning about adaptation and life sciences.

Challenge Island provides students with curriculum that enhances the education they receive in local schools. Every lesson is designed to prepare children with the knowledge, skills and resiliency to be successful in a rapidly changing world.

Comstock has sponsored many STEAM initiatives in Congress, including the bipartisan STEM Education Act of 2015.

Becca Holton
Challenge Island
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