In an effort to meet the needs of the home-schooled community and to expand STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) offerings, the Old Bridge Public Library Main Branch, Route 516 and Cottrell Road, will offer a monthly home-school book club and weekly First Lego League Challenge for children.
The first book-discussion group will meet 11 a.m. Sept. 30. Subsequent meetings will occur on the last Friday of every month. The book discussion is geared for children ages 8-12. Parents will be welcome at the first meeting to provide input to the group. Facilitators will work with students to determine curriculum, interests and reading lists.
The First Lego League Challenge group will meet 6-8 p.m. Fridays, Sept. 30-April, 2017. The international competition for youngsters ages 9-14 will allow them to build, test and program a robot using Lego Mindstorms technology to solve a set of missions in the Robot Game then compete on a table-top playing field. This year’s challenge theme is Animal Allies. Teams will identify a problem that occurs when people and animals interact and design a solution for that problem. Guided by adult coaches, teams will research a real-world problem such as food safety, recycling or energy, and will be challenged to develop a solution. The team may also qualify to participate in regional and national competitions.
Registration is required for the Lego League Challenge and is suggested for the book club.
To register or for more information, call 732-721-5600, ext. 5028, or log on to www.oldbridgelibrary.org.