Eagle Scout Project - WCH IdeaLab

Hi, my name is Teddy Ross. I am an aspiring Eagle Scout in Winnetka's Troop 20. The Winnetka Community House (WCH) had a significant impact on my childhood. I loved my tot classes like ABC's and 1,2,3's as well as the art, science and kindergarten enrichment courses I took there. Birthday parties and summer camps at WCH were always unique, hands-on, fun-filled experiences. The WCH nurtured my curiosity, cooperative spirit, self-reliance, and love for my community.  As an aspiring Eagle Scout in Winnetka's Troop 20, I wanted to do something to ensure WCH will be a vibrant community center that keeps kids coming back for years to come. I have also enjoyed our park district's tinkering programs, Skokie School's MakerSpace, and our library's Studio in recent years. This made me want to find a way to help WCH expand possibilities to offer innovative programs in multiple spaces to serve the next generation of kids at WCH. So I thought of building carts to serve as mobile IdeaLabs; and each cart will have a series of kits to challenge kids of all ages to design and create using everything from sewing kits, glue guns and popsicle sticks to K'nex and Rigamajigs. These mobile units can be easily stored and moved; they can support course offerings, special programs, and birthday party activities. With new cutting-edge supplies to encourage innovative thinking, design, tinkering, invention and project creation, each mobile lab will be built to move between learning spaces and will accommodate a variety of materials, supplies, technological devices and equipment to support childhood instruction and programs at WCH. In addition to building the lesson kits to go into each Mobile IdeaLab, I will work with WCH and lead fellow scouts in researching and collecting a video library of lesson plans for all the lab components. This virtual library will support adult facilitators and children to successfully utilize the learning units. It will be created to teach younger children about STEM, the creative design process, and to collaborate and work with their hands. The projects will boost independent learning with safe tools for young curious minds. Once I have built the video library and the first set of lesson kits for one Mobile IdeaLab, the WCH is allowing me to work with a WCH instructor and class of young children to observe how they interact with the units. This will inform how I need to tweak and enhance my virtual library and the materials kits and equipment. Fundraising, research, and project implementation will be managed by me in coordination with the Winnetka Community House staff and about a dozen scouts from Troop 20. I hope your love for WCH and belief in Winnetka's future children will inspire you to support and promote my Eagle Scout Project to build WCH Mobile IdeaLabs. Thank you!