STEAM Week returns to WPPL July 18-24!

Join Westlake Porter Public Library for our annual STEAM Week from July 18-24! Learn all about science, technology, engineering, arts and math in a variety of ways while helping kids prepare for the coming school year.

All week long, the library will feature blog posts on its website about science, technology, engineering, arts, and math, as well as a variety of programs for all ages. Listen to naturalists talk about the fascinating world of animals as part of the "Tails & Tales" Summer Library Challenge theme and read about the science behind animals (and other topics) in exclusive articles.

Pick-up craft kits will be available for all ages starting Monday, July 19. You must register for them starting Monday, July 12, at westlakelibrary.org.

In addition, the library will also be offering the following science, technology, engineering, arts and math programs for all ages:

Monday, July 19 (2-3 p.m.) Tails & Tales (Live) – Get up close and personal with native animals from Lake Erie Nature & Science Center. Learn what makes a reptile different from a mammal or a bird. See scales, feathers, and fur from all different animals in this virtual presentation. Investigate the purpose of an animal’s tail and see how these different animals move in their environment. Live on Zoom. Appropriate for elementary school-age kids to adults. Please register.

Tuesday, July 20 (1-2 p.m.) Monarch Butterflies (Live) – Join a naturalist from Rocky River Nature Center on Zoom for a look into the fascinating lives of Monarch butterflies. We'll explore their beginnings from egg to caterpillar and, as winged adults, their migration to Mexico. For adults. Please register. You will receive Zoom instructions by email.

Tuesday, July 20 (7-8 p.m.) Build Your Own Board Game (Live) – Join us on Zoom to show off your creation and play some board game trivia. Grades 7-12. Build Your Own Board Game supply kits will be available in the Youth Services Department beginning July 13. You will need a kit to participate in the program. Please register. Registering for this event reserves a kit for you.

Wednesday, July 21 (4-5 p.m.) Summer Teen Writers Workshop (Live) – An online Zoom meet up for writers in grades 7-12. Join fellow Teen writers every other Wednesday this summer as we create an anthology of short stories. You pick the genre, characters, time period – everything. During each session we'll reveal a new writing challenge to be worked into your story. Come with an idea and by the end, you'll leave with a fantastic short story. Please register.

Wednesday, July 21 (7-8 p.m.) Adult Creative Writing Group – Join us for an hour of creative writing prompts to inspire you to start and keep writing. Creativity is more than putting pen to paper. It's about breaking away and trying something new! Please bring a notebook and a pen or pencil. This program is weather permitting. Staff will make every effort to notify you in a timely manner if we cannot meet in person. If we cannot meet in person, we will meet on Zoom. Zoom invites will be sent to all registered attendees only if we will not be meeting in person. Registration begins July 7.

Thursday, July 22 (11-11:30 a.m.) WPPL Annual Egg Drop – Join us on Facebook for our annual egg drop! Children entering grades K-6 in the fall can register to reserve an egg drop kit (minus the egg) for pick-up on July 14, then use the kit to create their own egg protecting contraption! Contraptions must be returned to the library by 4:30 p.m. on July 18. Join us on Facebook or YouTube on July 22 to see the fate of this year's eggs!

Thursday, July 22 (3:30-4:30 p.m.) Roblox Arcade (Live) – We have private servers set up for Tweens in grades 4-6 to hang out with their friends and enjoy some of the most popular games via Zoom. Please register.

Friday, July 23 (10-10:30 a.m.) Adapted Storytime in the Garden – Join us for this storytime in the Reading Garden designed for children who may not be successful in a typical storytime experience. Content is geared toward ages 3 to 7 years but all ages are welcome. Siblings may attend but must register separately. Registration begins July 16. This program is weather permitting. Staff will make every effort to notify you in a timely manner if we cannot meet in-person. If we cannot meet in-person, we will meet on Zoom. Zoom invites will be sent to all registered attendees only if we will not be meeting in person. Please register every person that will be attending, including children and adults. Caregivers must stay with their child(ren) during the programming. 

To more information, to find the blogs or to register for any of the kits or programs, please visit westlakelibrary.org/steam-week.