Mid East robotics team visits Byesville Rotary

Pictured: Mr. Stingel, Mid East instructor—computer support program; Justine Kirk, Caleb McElroy, Joey Burrell--Mid East students; and Becky Bruner, Speaker Chair.

Mr. Stingel, instructor, at the Mid East Career and Technology Center Buffalo Campus, accompanied by three students in the Computer Support Program introduced the Mid East robot to the Byesville Rotary.

Mid East students are preparing for a competition against students from other schools with a robotics program. The team--Justine Kirk, Caleb McElroy, Joey Burrell—began with a robotics kit. Once they finished constructing the basic robot, they began customizing their robot. Their goal is to build a robot that will meet the challenges of the competition. They will customize the robot by writing programs or apps—they use the term “coding” to refer to this process

The students have written code that directs the robot to move through a series of sequential moves on its own with no input from the human operator. For example, the robot knows how to move straight forward for 2 seconds and then stop. It can also do push-ups. More code needs written. The students need to “teach” their robot how to pick items off the floor by writing a code that will lower the robot arm very close to the floor and grasp the object needing picked up.

The students also exhibited some of the objects they have created using a 3-D printer. This activity also requires programming skills. Mid East students are learning today the skills that businesses will need in the near future.

Mid East has a hands-on approach to education. The Computer Support Program offers lots of opportunities for students to learn by doing. As we all know, cranky, misbehaving computers are frustrating to deal with. One focus of the Computer Support Program is teaching students how to provide customer service. This element of the training program at Mid East encourages students to apply their knowledge about installing, configuring, upgrading, troubleshooting and repairing microcomputer hardware and software in real-life situations. Computers needing servicing are welcome at Mid East.

Byesville Rotary at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283. The club meets 7:30 am, Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Walk-ins are welcome at the club’s meeting.

Byesville Rotary tackles literacy project

Pictured: Shana Fair, Byesville Rotary President; Stephanie Laube, Executive Director of the Guernsey and Noble Counties United Way; and Becky Bruner, Speaker Chair.

 

Shana Fair, president of the Byesville Rotary, explained that education is an important focus for Rotary service projects. Fair said that as the Library Director of the OU Zanesville and Zane State Library she often worked with local students who were struggling with completing all the assigned class reading. Fair stated that she wanted to find a club project that would help young children prepare for school by improving their reading. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a program with a successful record of improving childhood literacy skills.

Stephanie Laube, Executive Director of the Guernsey and Noble Counties United Way, described how the Dolly Parton program works. Laube explained Dolly Parton requires a local partner to administer the program. The United Way began sponsoring the program 2 years ago in response to an assessment of community needs that identified a need to improve early childhood literacy skills.

Laube stated the Dolly Parton program will provide a child with books for a cost of $25 per year until the child reaches his or her 5^th birthday. Laube said that her goal is to guarantee a child books for 5 years. She will only register a child for the program when she has a total of $125 donated to the program.

Laube explained that studies indicate that the first 3 years of life are crucial for the development of literacy skills. Exposing a child to books and reading is a proven method to help a child develop these necessary skills. Studies following children who have participated in the Dolly Parton program indicate that children whose parents read to them will be 10 times more prepared for school than children whose parents do not read to them.

Laube went on to point out that even if parents do not read to their child, a child who has books in his/her home and who just looks at the pictures and turns the pages will be 4 times better prepared for school than children who are not exposed to books.

Laube said the she has a waiting list of children waiting to enter the program. Fair has set a goal for her club of raising funds to provide books for 10 children.

Byesville Rotary at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283. The club meets 7:30 am, Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Walk-ins are welcome at the club’s meeting.

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Christmas comes early for Byesville Rotary

At their weekly meeting, Byesville Rotary members discussed their busy holiday schedule which includes plans for several fund raisers and their annual Christmas food basket project.

Work has begun to meet the needs of their Christmas Food Basket project. The club expects to provide food baskets for about 200 families totaling about 800 children and living in the Rolling Hills School District. Each family will receive one box of perishables including a turkey and one box of non-perishables and canned goods. Sign-ups for the Christmas baskets will be held in October. Baskets will be distributed on Saturday, December 19.

To help raise money for their Christmas food basket project, club members will hold a fund raiser on Saturday, October 17, from 8:00 am—1:00 pm at the intersection of Main and 2^nd streets in Byesville. Watch for Rotarians holding Christmas stockings.

The club will be partnering with the Meadow Brook Interact Club and the Rolling Hills Schools to collect canned goods and other non-perishables for the Christmas food baskets.

In November, the club will hold a rummage sale. Funds from this project will be used to support the club’s 2015 literacy project.

Club members will celebrate Christmas early at their November 24 meeting. Each club member is asked to bring gifts for kids to this meeting. The gifts will be divided between the Meadow Brook Interact club in support of their Angel Tree pro and the Secret Santa program

On Saturday, December 12, club members will hold their annual Breakfast with Santa pancake breakfast. Santa will be at the breakfast and free pictures with Santa will be provided with the purchase of a breakfast.

Byesville Rotary at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283. The club meets 7:30 am, Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Walk-ins are welcome at the club’s meeting.