One local program is bringing college and grade-school students together for a mutual learning experience. This project is part of the Kids Tech program. The goal is to teach young children about the technology field while also giving technology education majors real life teaching practice. 

The program was created in the Spring of 2012 as a partnership between SUNY Oswego and surrounding grade schools. Classes are held every Wednesday night for four weeks. Parents drop their children off at SUNY Oswego after school for the classes. Parents or guardians must register their students for this program prior to the start of classes and there is a $30 dollar fee for enrollment.

This is a required 3 credit course for SUNY Oswego students in the technology education major. The course is called Technology Education (TED) 306, which is an upper division course. All students in the 306 course are in charge of creating the lesson plans and running the classes. While their professors assist in administrative tasks such as funding and registration. 

The program is broken down into two sections, STEM 4 Kids and Young Inventors. 

These classes are divided by grade, and each class has a different topic to cover. According to SUNY Oswego Technology Education student, Erick Zizic, the fourth and fifth graders are learning about transportation. 

“We started with boats, now we are doing hovercraft and drones, and how it is creating that distance between surface and air. How the transportation of people and goods, both recreational and commercial, is changing in the modern world,” Zizic said. 

Kindergarten and first grade students are also learning about transportation. While second, third and sixth graders are learning about energy and power. SUNY Oswego professor Dr. Mark Springston believes the division of topics within each age group is crucial to providing a well-rounded learning experience. 

“As an elementary student progresses from kindergarten through sixth grade, they are exposed multiple times to up to two of these different topics. So by the time they finish all kindergarten through sixth they will have been exposed to all of the eight technology and engineering contexts and some of them multiple times,” Springston said. “We want to give the breadth of technology that will be more appealing to a variety of students and better prepare them for their future careers.”

The programs are offered both in the fall and the spring. Roughly 60 students have enrolled this fall, but 120 students can register for spring 2023. This is because, for spring, students from another SUNY Oswego TED206 class will teach zoom courses to an additional 60 students from around New York State. College students in the 206 course teach lessons that have been curated by students in the TED306 course, who are teaching their 60 students in person. 

The 206 course is not the only way that younger SUNY Oswego students can get involved in the program. Students taking the college’s TED201 course, which is offered in the fall semester, can also participate in person as assistants to the students teaching in the 306 course. Senior technology education major Audrey Pryll is taking the 306 course. She is teaching kindergarten and first graders about transportation. Pryll stated that this program has helped her prepare for her future career as a technology teacher. 

“I was able to watch kids get some basic understanding and pick up on some things that I was able to teach them which was a super rewarding experience,” Pryll said. 

According to Springston, these programs are made possible through the assistance of a National Grid Grant. This funding allows the college to teach a wide range of topics to all age groups. Students are also given materials to take home after the classes to practice their skills. Additionally, National Grid offers a scholarship to pay for student enrollment in cases where the family is in financial need. 

This semester’s classes will end on Oct. 19. For more information about how to register students for the Spring session of the program visit https://sites.google.com/oswego.edu/kidstech/register. 

Photo provided by SUNY Oswego Technology Department