The College of Southern Nevada is more than a higher education institution. It’s also a community college, which means it’s part of our mission to make the place we live better.
Part of that is our Community and Personal Enrichment Program.
That’s where you’ll find non-credit classes covering everything from sports nutrition to life insurance, vegan cooking to tennis.
This spring, in addition to the dozens of courses they typically offer, the division is expanding its youth enrichment offerings, especially when it comes to Science, Technology, Math and Engineering — the so-called STEM fields that are seen as vital to developing the next generation’s educated workforce.
The goal is to give kids a space to have fun, learn a little something, and engage themselves in something creative and thoughtful. It means we’ll go beyond reciting the basics and make sure they get why and how this stuff works.
Through a continued partnership with Engineering for Kids, we’re offering the following courses for kids:
MinecraftEdu – Traveling Into the Future Through Minecraft.
Gamers and students alike rely on the engineering design process to solve challenges including building a city on a series of islands, escaping from a bunker on Mt. Everest, and even building a rocket to land on the moon. This class will challenge students’ ingenuity and problem solving skills as they learn to use teamwork and manage resources like an engineer in the real world. Laptops with MinecraftEdu are provided. NOTE: Current Minecraft accounts will not work since we run the game on a private server. For ages 8-14 years.
Robotics Engineering
Students will learn the basics of designing, programming, and controlling a fully functional robot. Using the education version of LEGO MINDSTORMS, mathematical concepts, and engineering principles students will brainstorm, plan, test, and modify sequences of instructions to accomplish a given task. Students will also learn the sequence of communication between the robot and the programmer by collecting and analyzing data using mechanical motors along with color, ultrasonic and motion sensors. Laptops and robot kits are provided to each student during class.
Video Game Design – Kodu Game Lab
Race to the finish and create your own racing game in Microsoft’s Kodu gaming environment. From terrain design to enemy selection, students are placed at the wheel and given full control to design their own video game while exploring the foundations of coding. Kick your creativity into gear with Kodu Kart Racing (not compatible with Mac or Linux). Laptops are provided to students.
These STEM classes are designed to integrate kids’ attention span with short lectures and projects that allow students to participate in creating their own. This means hands-on activities and using the critical thinking component incorporated into the class to resolve issues that arise in STEM.
Additionally, we are offering classes focused on character and finances to assist students in the future when they decide to go to college and eventually graduate into a world where managing finances is critical. They’ll include classes on financial fitness, turning a loss into a win with strong character, and putting your dreams to the test.
For the full schedule of classes for spring 2016, click here, or visit http://sites.csn.edu/workforce/documents/cpecurrentcatalog.pdf.