Some of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) studies at any level can be a challenging task to take on.
But Paul Rayburn, director of the Well STEM Education Center, is hoping to ease some of the difficulties students may face when learning these subjects and has now partnered with United Supermarkets and Xcel Energy to do so.
“Since we started I’ve wanted to get more kids doing stuff with their hands,” Rayburn said. “The big picture I’ve started to see not just in Pampa, but everywhere, is a lot of our kids growing up spend a lot of time in front of their screens. They’re just not being very creative. As they come in and use our program they lack dexterity.
“(They struggle with) the ability to construct things with their hands and the ability to follow a diagram.”
Rayburn said he is concerned about this reality and how it shapes the future with trades and engineering-type jobs. That’s where Builder’s Club comes in.
“It’s (Builder’s Club) designed to give our kids exposure to a large variety of things they can build and construct with,” Rayburn said. “Each week we’re introducing a new topic. This last week we were building tanks out of Legos with tread to help them understand basic concepts like gears, axles, friction, traction, etc.”
The activity included the tanks with wheels first and the students tried to drive them in mulch, which didn’t work. The students then put tracks on the tanks and got successful results.
“They loved it because they got to build something and play in the mulch,” Rayburn said.
The program serves children from kindergarten through fifth grade. Rayburn would like to see it grow from the eight kids he serves now on a regular basis.
Xcel Energy furnished the funding for the kits (building kits used for instruction) while United Supermarkets is providing snacks for the students.
“I have kids of my own, so I understand they’re hungry after school,” Rayburn said. “So we know it’s the end of the week and kids come in and are hungry. Their minds have been working and a lot of them eat lunch early. We want to see it as an opportunity to help kids eat healthy stuff.”
The program costs $50 a month, but there are scholarships available.
As for the Well STEM Education Center itself, the majority of their program is aiding in math tutoring with about 10 employees available.
“I’m seeing 150 kids a month for math tutoring,” Rayburn said. “That includes public school, Christian school, home-school, etc. We do a lot of home-school support, it’s fairly normal for parents to help with the math. The science is hard to do, too. You don’t always have the resources available to do labs.”
Rayburn is originally from Dallas and has a masters degree in education administration and used to teach at Pampa Junior High School.
“We’ve lived here for seven years now,” Rayburn said.
Rayburn’s wife, Mary Grace, is from Pampa and the couple have operated The Well STEM Education Center for four years as of February.
Besides the Well Education Center, there is also Open Books for reading and writing tutoring next door under the Well’s umbrella.
For more information on The Well STEM Education Center, visit their Facebook page.
