Yarder Manufacturing and McKinley STEM Academy: The Perfect Pairing
02-11-2021If you had to make a list of some of the most pressing issues facing our society today, access to a quality education for our children would undoubtedly be right at the top.
That, in essence, is what makes the McKinley STEM Academy so important. Short for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, STEM instills the next generation of students with not only a newfound appreciation for collaboration and communication, but also problem-solving skills, critical thinking and much, much more. It’s a way to help make sure that the youngest in our communities have the skills necessary to advance towards their eventual career goals – which is a major reason why the team at Yarder Manufacturing have pledged to help in any and all ways that they can.
Recently, Yarder Manufacturing partnered with McKinley STEM Academy on a decidedly unique project. As a part of the Toledo Public School District, McKinley’s vision is a straightforward one – they want to produce competitive college and career-ready graduates through a comprehensive curriculum that empowers students in all grade levels. They participate with a wide range of local schools throughout the area, including elementary schools like Arlington Elementary, Beverly Elementary and Burroughs Elementary, along with high schools like Rogers High School, Scott High School and the Aerospace & Natural Science Academy of Toledo, just to name a few.
Their commitment to a student-centered experience is virtually unprecedented and their technology-oriented approach to education has already seen a significant amount of success to this point. By developing a culture of high expectations and accountability-based management, they’re doing their part to help adequately prepare the next generation of the workforce in this country – and that is something that Yarder Manufacturing can get behind.
This particular project saw Yarder manufacture a series of 1′ by 1′ panels that the kids then painted on, creating their own innovative art pieces. Additionally, Yarder put together a wall structure that each panel will eventually be inserted into – almost mimicking an oversized game of the childhood classic “Connect 4.” It was a perfect opportunity to teach kids about the principles of engineering while still enabling them to have fun at the exact same time.
But what really makes this project special is that when the painting is done and the eventual art mural is constructed, it will travel around the greater Toledo area for all to see. It will be a perfect example of what can be accomplished through pure creativity when kids have access to the appropriate resources, and it is hoped that this will be just the first of many collaborations between the two organizations in the years to come.
If you’d like to find out more information about the recent collaboration between Yarder Manufacturing and the kids at McKinley STEM Academy, or if you’d just like to find out more about this traveling project that will soon travel around the greater Toledo area, please don’t delay – contact us today.
