MELS Garage Hosts Family STEM Nights

All the things we love about MELS Garage are now accessible at home! Open to all MUSD families, the MELS team kicked off monthly Family STEM nights at-home this September, with special inclusion of English language development classes and homeless student population.

Lynda Donelson, Homeless Liaison for MUSD Health Services, selected 4-8 grade students part of the Transitional Student Success Program (TSSP), a program intended for kids without adequate, permanent places to sleep at night, to participate in September’s ‘Marble Maze Mania’ at-home activity free of charge. She selected students based on attendance and class participation records and partnered with MUSD Transportation drivers to deliver the MELS Garage supply kits where TSSP students could collect them.

“We included a note attached to each student’s kit letting them know that they’re doing an amazing job in school and to keep up the great work,” stated Lynda Donelson. “We want to encourage them to continue to be successful in school.”

English language development classes at both Manteca High and Sierra High also participated in the STEM night activity virtually with the help of their teachers, at no cost to the students and their participating family members at home.

All families that registered for September’s STEM activity, picked up their materials at one of the many MELS Garage drive-thru locations. Participating students and families were asked to submit photos of their family fun and finished projects.

Julie Sousa, secretary to the Director of Career Technical Education and STEM, stated, “We wanted students to know there was no right or wrong way to build the maze. The focus was on developing their own design and exercising their creativity!”

The objective was to create a Lego maze that a marble could pass through successfully.

On Wednesday, September 23rd, MELS Garage drew a ‘Marble Maze Mania’ winner from the photos submitted and the winner received a $100 gift card donated by Manteca’s Lego store, Bricks and Minifigs.

Congratulations, Josiah Canela!

The MELS program remains committed to offering engaging STEM activities throughout the school year regardless of phased learning model.

Visit the MELS Garage website for more information and to register for future events!

Upcoming Family STEM Nights

Halloween Slime in October and Turkey Balloon Races in November. Though the registration period for the Halloween Slime event has ended, the window for the Turkey Balloon Race sign up will begin midOctober. STEM coordinators will host a virtual student paint night in November, with information releasing Friday, September 25.