Cooperative Extension in Waldo County

STEAM Team Community Xplorers

Explore, create, learn: Belfast Free Library and Waldo County 4-H‘s new interactive STEAM Team Youth Community Scientist XPlorers program invites kids for hands-on experiences.

Belfast Free Library is premiering a new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) focused on Community Science Activities. Created in partnership with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H staff, STEAM Team will feature University of Maine and local scientists as well as field experts to explore and discover environmental and climate issues together with young participants through hands-on experiences and activities.
The new program, which kicks off in January 2025, is designed to foster discovery, joy, and a sense of stewardship and personal growth. Geared towards youth ages 8-12, it helps introduce early STEAM concepts and supports key development through multi-sensorial engagement.

The goal is to establish a sense of belonging and inclusion, encourage participants to believe in themselves, and empower them to become a part of the growing environmental justice movement to help our environment and support Maine’s unique ecosystems.

By providing access to experiential STEAM lessons and activities with the help of presenters and scientists, the program also hopes to help participants envision their path to college and a potential future career in STEAM. During the program series which will stretch until May, youth will partake in various educational and culturally relevant themes, like watersheds, vernal pools, ocean acidification and kelp farming, to improve their understanding and dig deeper into the world of environmental learning.