Coding robot shaping young minds

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The Starkville Public Library has a brand new program that’s giving area children an early insight into computer programming.

The program is called S.T.E.A.M. (formerly known as S.T.E.M.) and it stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.

“To them it’s almost like playing a game. Well, it is a game. They get rewarded, they can unlock special features of the robots with each level they complete. Basically, they’re learning but they’re having a lot of fun doing it,” said Children’s Librarian Loraine Walker.

Walker said the new robots are not toys.

“To make them do anything, you have to program them. They will go forward, they will talk, they will quack like a duck, but you have to program them to do that,” said Walker.

Walker also said she had a particular group in mind when it came time to get the robots.

“Numerous studies have shown that if young girls aren’t in the hard sciences by the end of middle school, It’s basically too late,” said Walker.

“I like seeing them, and I like challenging myself to do what the computer tells me to do,” said 8-year-old Saindhavi Shankar.

Walker said the new robots bring the whole family together.

“Actually the most positive feedback I’ve seen is from dads. I see a lot of moms at storytime– not a lot of dads. But, I’m getting tons of dads coming in… They’re coming in with their wives and their children or just the dads are bringing the kids because robots are something their interested in,” said Walker.

“I think it’s important based on her liking. The future is going to be coding everywhere, so if they learn from this age I think this would be helpful,” said Saindhavi’s father Shankar Shanmugam.

It seems like the new interactive gadgets are a hit.

“I can do whatever it tells me to do. It takes me a while to get the hang of it– every different robot, but I get it eventually,” said Shankar.

“I like to say I’m building an army of little geniuses here,” said Walker.

The program has two sessions every Tuesday at 1 pm and 4 pm.