In its first 13 months of application, the mySci Do program is inspiring creative expression outside the traditional learning environment. “Our kids deal with very difficult circumstances and also often aren’t afforded the same experiences of others,” says Maura Cosgrove, Little Bit’s mySci Do Coordinator. “The mySci Do program gives them the ability to harness their energy into completing a task and tap into their creativity. It also gives the non-traditional learners an opportunity to really shine.”

Through initial funding by the Monsanto Fund, mySci Do was developed by Washington University’s Institute for School Partnership, Maryville University School of Education and The Disruption Department and is offered to classrooms in Little Bit schools. Modeled after mySci – a fee-based science program for kindergarten through eighth grade teachers in St. Louis, which will provide ongoing funding for mySci Do – each classroom receives a kit of maker materials, such as legos, electric circuits, etc. and curriculum that introduces students to robotics and construction learning. Several students have had the opportunity to showcase their inventions outside of the classroom, even competing in the regional qualifier for the First Lego League Challenge.

“The students at Walbridge Elementary run around the halls showing off their creations,” says Cosgrove. “For an hour every week, they are truly ‘working outside the box,’ learning new skills and building confidence as a result.”