The Allegan Area Educational Service Agency (AAESA) last fall provided Hopkins Public Schools with an opportunity to partner with them in the MI STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) grant.

This grant gave the AAESA $21,000 to distribute among participating districts to purchase equipment such as EV3 LEGO robotics kits.

Teachers and students at both Hopkins and Sycamore Elementary are busy learning to use the kits as well as the accompanying software used to program the robots.

Scott VanBonn, Hopkins Elementary principal, said, “These kits are a great way to use student’s existing excitement about LEGOs in an educational way through STEM; the kids love exploring with them and learning about how to make them work.”

In the future, elementary students will have a chance to compete alongside students in other local districts in county-wide competitions using the kits, such as the Allegan County EV3 LEGO Robotics Challenge and Coding Showcase.