Inside SIUE's STEM Resource Center

Inside SIUE's STEM Resource Center

July 24, 2024, 3:23 PM

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville STEM Resource Center, located in Science East Room 1276, offers a wide range of resources, information, and tools useful for anybody at SIUE.

"Our goal is to be a main hub on campus and for the community to convey the excitement of STEM learning and discovery," said Sharon Locke, PhD, SIUE STEM Center Director.

One of the main services of the STEM Resource Center is its lending library. Full of hands-on activities, materials, books, and models, the Center offers its inventory items to be rented out free of charge. Anyone can request to rent the Center's items by creating an account online.

"We have different aspects of the STEM Center, and the lending library is one of the most popular ones," said Emily Wonnacott-Stanley, program coordinator at the Center. "All the things that we check out, it's all free."

The Center is home to thousands of educational, appealing and rentable items. Among its most popular items are Dash and Dot robot kits, programmable and customizable for an interactive and fun problem-solving experience for students.

Another favorite item among students is the Center's electric snap circuit boards. These kits offer hundreds of experiments and are used to help students learn electrical engineering in a safe, creative environment.

The services of the STEM Resource Center go beyond SIUE. Teachers, parents, and educators of all kinds make frequent use of the Center's resources.

"I just came back from an outreach, and we did snap circuits for these kids, which is one of the most fun things to teach even undergraduates about basic electricity," said Wonnacott-Stanley. "It's one of the things that goes out all the time."

The Center opens its doors for anybody, including non-STEM majors, to borrow equipment, look around, or have a quiet place to study.

"All [majors]. Anybody. You don't even have to be a student here," said Wonnacott-Stanley.

"During the university semester, you are likely to find SIUE students studying in our group spaces or reviewing our collection of molecular models," said Locke.

Staff at the Center have also been actively working to adapt its inventory and facility to be more accessible for everyone, including students and visitors with visual impairments and other challenges.

The SIUE STEM Resource Center is full of exciting and informative materials and resources, perfect for anyone looking to learn and explore.

For more information about the Center or to create an account for borrowing materials, visit https://siuestemcenter.myturn.com.

PHOTOS: Emily Wonnacott-Stanley, program coordinator at the Center; SIUE student worker Dean Crosby; article and photos by SIUE Communications intern Andrew Dalan