AIM’s Youth In Tech program was chosen as a partner for Omaha Public Schools to
enrich young minds. Recently AIM associates ignited creativity and innovation at
several elementary schools while teachers participated in professional development
opportunities outside the classroom.
AIM’s Isaac Piper, Erin Lasiter, Andrew Ochsner and Sara Berkebile helped students
connect to literacy and reading. Using the story “Knuffle Bunny,” by Mo Willems, the
AIM leaders discussed the importance of a setting of story, then had the students use
3D pens supplied by AIM to draw settings of their own. A 3D pen is like a 3D printer in
your hand. The pen melts plastic through a nozzle which you can then form into any
number of things.
Another cool activity was “rotoscoping,” a technique that bridges the magic of art and
technology. Using a rotoscope, students took a picture of a real-life place in the
classroom and then drew in the characters, closely mirroring the technique of Mo
Willems who wrote “Knuffle Bunny.” The result was an unforgettable day of learning
and creativity. Both the students and AIM associates were inspired by the active day.
