Gainesville, Fla. – Learn basic coding and engineering lessons for the whole family at the Alachua County Library District’s new Family Invention Lab programs this summer.
These programs are curated by the MakerSpace team to encourage discovery, experimentation, and hands-on learning with beginner-friendly technology. Inventors from ages 5 to adults can learn how to write code and engineer contraptions with pocket-sized computers, STEM kits, building straws, and more.
The Family Invention Lab series starts with a kick-off program at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 15 in Meeting Room A at Headquarters Library, 401 E. University Ave., Gainesville. Additional Family Invention Lab programs will be held on the second and fourth Sundays in June, July, and August. All programs are held at 2 p.m. in Meeting Room A. Programs are designed for children and their grown-ups to work together using science and engineering skills to become inventors. Children younger than 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
Patrons should register online to save a seat at these programs. Please register at least 12 hours before an event to guarantee admission. Check-in starts 15 minutes before a program’s start time. If registered attendees are not present five minutes before the start time, seats may be given away on a first-come, first-serve basis. A library card is not required to register or attend any program. Learn more at www.aclib.us/invention
Each month’s Family Invention Labs is centered on a theme, challenging inventors to question their knowledge and create something new while learning together. June's theme is “Animal Engineering,” prompting us to ask what humans can learn from animal adaptations and how we can rebuild these adaptations. July's theme is “Is It Conductive?” Electricity is the cornerstone of electronics and computing, learn to build a game with conductive materials. August's theme is “Storytelling with Color.” Color is a fantastic visual aid – test how you can use color to tell a story, mark a trail, and give signals.
The full Family Invention Lab Schedule is:
- Sunday, May 15, Kick-Off Program
- Sunday, June 12
- Sunday, June 26
- Sunday, July 10
- Sunday, July 24
- Sunday, Aug. 14
- Sunday, Aug. 28
The Family Invention Lab is made possible by an Innovation Grant from the Northeast Florida Library Information Network (NEFLIN). NEFLIN is a nonprofit training and research organization that serves 550 libraries in 24 counties throughout northeast Florida.
For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Rachel Cook at 352-334-3909 or rcook@aclib.us.
If a person with a disability needs an accommodation in order to participate in this event he or she is entitled, at no cost to him or her, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the Alachua County Library District at 352-334-3910 at least three (3) days prior to the event. TTY users, please call 711 (Florida Relay Service).