
About this Course
STEAM Engine is a weekly online program that engages middle school (grades 5 – 8) students in STEM, right from the comfort of their home! In this program, we take students on an exciting journey into STEAM concepts with a focus on digital literacy skills such as computer programming (coding), 3D modeling and graphic design to complete exciting hands-on projects in a fun and engaging environment.
In STEAM Engine Intermediate, we take Transition concepts to a whole new level, exploring brand new topics through exciting hands-on projects in a fun and engaging environment.
In this weekly online program students will learn and apply new concepts in 3D modeling, graphic design and coding (in Python) to explore the exciting area of App Development! Over 10-weeks, students will 3D model a Weather Station using sophisticated tools in Tinkercad, create graphics for their very own app in Canva, and use new coding concepts in Python to program a fully functional Weather App using real time data from an application programming interface (API)! Learners will also explore various topics in climate sciences and how scientists and engineers predict weather patterns on Earth.
More Information
This program is funded by the Hamilton Community Foundation and General Motors Canada at various schools across Hamilton, in which the program fee is subsidized. Check your school’s eligibility by clicking on the Check Eligibility button below.
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FAQ
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Who can sign up for STEAM Engine?
Anyone in grades 5 to 8 can sign up for STEAM Engine.
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When does it take place?
Afterschool! Click on the IGNITION, LIFT OFF and FLIGHT courses above to find out when they take place!
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How do I know which level to join?
STEAM Engine BEGINNER is best for students who do not have experience with the program topics and have not participated in the STEAM Engine program previously.
STEAM Engine TRANSITION is best for students who want to get some more hands-on practice into more advanced block coding, and slowly make their transition into script coding in Python.
STEAM Engine INTERMEDIATE is best for students who have become comfortable with block coding and are ready to take on the challenge of writing their code to create apps and games in Python!
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What topics can I expect to learn?
We will cover topics related to space, Earth, Mars, coding, 3D modeling, graphic design and more!
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How do I sign up?
Click on the course of your choice above and then click Register. Complete the Registration process. You will receive a confirmation email once your registration is complete!
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What happens after I register?
You will receive an email from our team containing a Google Classroom class code. Add the class to your Google Classroom - inside the classroom you will find the weekly link to the sessions and all other content (slides, assignments, games, etc.).
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Is there a fee to register?
The cost of participating is $125.00 CAD for 10 weeks, meaning $12.50 per week!
This program is funded by the Hamilton Community Foundation and General Motors Canada at various schools across Hamilton in which the program fee is subsidized.
To check if your school is eligible, use the form below!
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Where do the sessions take place?
The sessions take place virtually on a platform called BlueJeans. All you have to do is download the program once (for free) and use the same link to join the session each week!
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I’ve got questions, what do I do?
#Testimonial What Students Say
I liked the program because it taught me how to create games with Python, it taught me how to use FreeCAD for 3D printing and it taught me how to use Canva for making icons and images. I liked Python more because Python is the most popular coding language for years now and I think coding fits me. o
STEAM Engine Previous Participant, 2021
The course was great for me. I took a couple of courses learning Python in Udemy, but this course was much more informative and helpful. It was also great that we learned how to use these graphic design apps and websites to help make our game at the end of the program. o
STEAM Engine Previous Participant, 2020
I enjoy graphic design and art. This made me shine well in Canva and I am doing a lot of Canva projects at home(for school, productivity, personal crafts and practice). The coding sessions were great because I did not know how to code before. Those sessions were really interesting and fun. FreeCAD was cool because it seemed like I could create anything I wanted with a computer. o
STEAM Engine Previous Participant, 2021
I learnt the fundamentals of python, as well as what an API and json are. We’re also working on a weather app. A pizza maker, a number guessing game, and a shopping app were among the projects I worked on. Everything was a favourite of mine, but creating the weather app was my absolute favourite. I believe the program doesn’t need any changes as it is very well designed but one suggestion is to give feedback for turned in homework and explain more on what to do on each homework. o