HURON — The Broadland Buddies 4-H Club in Beadle County has been awarded a $400 mini-grant from the State 4-H Leaders of South Dakota to support a new STEM Robotics project for youth in the community.
The program will use Sphero Mini and Sphero BOLT robots, interactive robotic balls designed to teach coding, engineering, and problem-solving through hands-on learning. Students can program the robots using simple block-based coding or more advanced programming to control movement, create obstacle courses, and complete challenges.
The Sphero Mini offers an approachable introduction to coding and robotics, making it ideal for younger students who are just beginning to explore STEM skills.The Sphero BOLT includes sensors, lights, and programmable features that allow students to experiment with robotics and real-world technology concepts. Youth participating in the program are already gearing up for the opportunity.
“I’m really excited to learn how to use the robots,” said Gracelyn Woodbury, first year club member. “We are grateful for this opportunity and we also hope to be able to share the robots with other 4H clubs within the county.”
“As a parent who didn’t grow up participating in 4H, I honestly thought the clubs mostly worked with farm animals,” said Erica Woodbury. “While 4H is a phenomenal program for teaching kids about the animal and agricultural industry, I have learned that it is so much more. It truly is a youth enrichment program supporting children of all different interests and backgrounds. I am thrilled to see this unique opportunity for the kids to explore technology in a fun and hands-on way.”
This project is designed to encourage teamwork, curiosity, and innovation while introducing youth to science, technology, engineering, and math skills that are increasingly important in today’s world. It has been made possible by a grant to the Broadland Buddies 4-H Club from the State 4-H Leaders of South Dakota.
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