By: Isaiah S. Showell, Follow South Jersey Multimedia Journalist/’What’s Good’ Host
BRIDGETON, N.J. — The STEAMWorks building on Commerce Street in Bridgeton is a creative DIY facility where people can gather to create, invent, and learn. The students of Buckshutem Road school took the facility for a test drive for a few hours and even ate lunch there before heading back to school.
Rich Nichols, Executive Director of the United Advocacy Group, plays a major part in hosting the children in STEAMWorks, and he couldn’t be more thrilled to show the children the facility.
“We’re so excited to see every middle schooler in the City of Bridgeton to come to our space this year to engage in project-based learning,” said Nichols. “Robotics, woodworking, sound recording, and food science — we think it’s so important that our students here are prepared to meet these cutting-edge technologies that continue to emerge in our society.”
Each class lasts for 40 minutes and the students are covered to their elbows in wood chips thanks to Fred McFarland who is in charge of the woodshop class or covered in cookie dough with Rebecca Nichols who runs the food science class. Sound Recording is under the tutelage of Kerry Rogers, Jr. who has experience working with recording artists like Usher, Chris Brown, and Rihanna just name a few, and he’s a Cumberland County native.
“I think it’s a good thing for the kids to see the actual process of actually making a record for all the music they listen to,” said Rogers. “For them to listen and see how it’s made is an amazing thing.”
Tuesdays and Thursdays are when the STEAMWorks building is open to students in Bridgeton and other school districts, and they’re ready to provide students with a fun and educational STEAM experience. It’s definitely What’s Good in South Jersey this week!
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