Young people develop skills, explore creativity at College for Kids at STCC

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Justine Crespo, a 16-year-old from Springfield, never liked to speak in front of a group of people, but that changed after her experience in a class called “It’s Your Turn, Take the Mic.”

“I used to get nervous speaking in public, but I’ve worked on that. It was usually in my head,” she said. “I learned that no one really cares.”

The public speaking workshop, held July 17-21, was one of nine unique education sessions held as part of College for Kids at Springfield Technical Community College.  The summer program, which drew 69 children between 11 and 16, experienced a boost in enrollment since last year, said Lidya Rivera Early, director of Community Engagement at STCC.

“We restarted College for Kids a few years ago,” Rivera Early said. “When the pandemic happened, we had to scale back or eliminate programs. This past summer, we had a very good turnout and we hope to see even more young people participating next year.”

Rivera Early said young people experienced STCC up close by learning on campus and interacting with professors. Some of the College for Kids programs are taught by STCC faculty.

Dr. Lillian Ortiz, Interim Assistant Vice President of Advancement at STCC, said the program is an affordable option for parents and guardians seeking activities for their children. It’s also an introduction to STCC.

“We hope the young people in these programs think about STCC as an option when they are choosing a college in a few years,” Ortiz said. “STCC is the most affordable college in Springfield and also offers high quality programs that align with the skills employers seek. Many of our programs cannot be found anywhere else in the region.”

College for Kids offers a range of programs for students in middle school and high school. Participants experience educational and fun sessions that appeal to a variety of interests. The public speaking session is designed to specifically empower girls to have more confidence and self-esteem, and develop the poise and communication skills needed to engage in effective public speaking.

“For young girls and just people in general, public speaking has always been a terrifying thing to do,” said Ayanna Crawford, founder and executive director for the Take the Mic public speaking program. “We found that girls who came into our program were very shy and just feel like they couldn’t speak to not only their peers, but their friends.”

Crawford said her program – which is in its fourth year as part of College for Kids – builds in activities and methods to help lessen the fear of public speaking.

It’s been fun. I’ve been learning new techniques and skills. Jaida Denson, College for Kids participant

Other programs include fashion education, theater, airbrushing, creating mobile apps, debating, forensic science, basketball and physics and art basic design.

“I love art,” said Jaida Denson, 14, of Springfield, who participated in the Art and Basic Design class, which was held at the Springfield Museums. “I’m working on making realistic portraits. It’s been fun. I’ve been learning new techniques and skills.”

The art class was taught by Jorge Costa, an adjunct faculty member at STCC. He said he hoped the students would learn the art elements and principles of design.

“It’s been a great experience,” he said. “This is my first time teaching College for Kids, and I’m enjoying it. I have a creative group, and I’m happy with that.”

Two of the programs – Airbrushing and Create Mobile Apps – were offered in partnership with the STEM Starter Academy and HSI STEM. STCC is an Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), which is a federal designation granted to colleges and universities with a Latino/Latina/Latinx population of at least 25 percent.

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math. STCC is the only technical community college in Massachusetts.

STCC Professor Matt Kriftcher said he applied some of the same techniques from his college level class to the College for Kids airbrushing sessions. “We’re the only school in the Northeast to have a class like this,” Kriftcher said.

He said he hopes to get young students aware of techniques. Students use a compressed air that sprays paint in a controlled way. They can use airbrushing to create T-shirts, art and illustration and more.

Another session called “Who Done It?” gave children a chance to learn about forensics and act out the part of detectives.

Some of the young participants said they enjoy watching crime shows on TV, which attracted them to the forensic session.

“Being a detective sounds like fun, and solving a mystery sounds really cool,” said 11-year-old Lily. “We did sketch art. We sketched people without knowing what they looked like. We solved a mini-crime, where somebody took a painting.”

During the week, Renee Stewart, instructor who operates Extreme Science Kid, asked participants to break up into teams to solve a crime by using newly learned forensic skills. She hoped the program would give the children a better understanding of careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

“Especially in the urban community, a lot of the children don’t explore those careers,” she said. “At Extreme Science Kid, we love the idea of being able to educate children about STEM and STEM careers and encourage them to go those routes.”

Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.

About Springfield Technical Community College

STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jim Danko, (413) 222-9311, jdanko@stcc.edu

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