Building up STEAM in Mesquite

By JIM LUKSIC

The Progress

On a sunlit Virgin Valley weekend, it was the Grand Opening at the new Mesquite STEAM center that may have shined brightest.

Throughout the afternoon of Friday, Aug. 25 and the morning of Saturday, Aug. 26, local kids, parents, teachers, city dignitaries and other curious onlookers, congregated for the first public opening of the new educational center whose acronym stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art (and Agriculture) and Math.

Morgan Luff of Logandale was among those attendees who expressed excitement and curiosity about the venue, which harbors a panoply of technical tools for learning.
“My children are home-schooled,” Luff said of her two sons, Braxton and Colton. The boys were fascinated as STEAM center staffer Parker Mercado demonstrated the difference between static and kinetic energy in an experiment involving a bouncy ball made by the kids themselves.
“It’s nice to come here, because we don’t have many learning resources at home,” Luff said.

Among the modern equipment for hands-on, soft-skills training at the facility’s disposal: a podcasting studio, virtual-reality network, hydroponics garden, Lego table, robotic toys, 3D printers and laser cutter.

Those amenities and more emerged from lists that STEAM center Manager Lizz Larson and local educators had compiled. All equipment was made financially possible by a grant (via the American Rescue Act) from Mesquite City Council.

What was unveiled during the Grand Opening reflects the core of what Mesquite Works, a non-profit workforce development organization that serves northeast Clark County, had in mind for the sprawling site. In June, the STEAM center hosted an open house for dozens of invited guests including donors.

Mayor Al Litman, who helped secure the necessary grant funding to the tune of $100,000, gave particular credit to one of his peers.
“None of this could have happened without George Gault,” the mayor stated in reference to the Mesquite Works board member, ex-city councilman, and Mesquite Regional Business, Inc. board president. Gault stated his primary goal is “to get things done for kids in our community.”

The Grand Opening, he explained, was to encourage families with children, in addition to school teachers, “to come and see what we’ve got.”

What they’ve “got” is a substantial number of benefactors, for whom the center has plaques on a wall. In turn, Gault said, Mesquite Works owns the entire plaza which was a gift from the Frias Foundation in Las Vegas for the purpose of opening a STEAM center in Mesquite. Thus there are plans to expand.

Along those lines, Gault emphasized the need to establish more clubs, in addition to 4-H, a popular network of youth-development programs. Gault also spoke of helping teenagers prepare for job fairs and interviews. if they need presentable attire before meeting an employer, they’ll be directed to a nearby thrift store to help suit them up, he said.

Larson, who spent both days mingling with visitors and volunteers, came aboard in May of 2022. Since then she has collaborated with city officials “to purchase items, plus programming, and curriculum.” Her tasks leading up to the Grand Opening involved overseeing logistics for the printers, computers, and robotics. What’s more, Larson procured the necessary furniture, safety glasses and a long list of other equipment, all the way down to the string used for art projects.

Meanwhile, in a secluded corner of the sprawling complex sits podcaster Steve Dudrow (of Virgin Valley Artists Association) whose shows, along with co-host Linda Harris, include “The Art Box” and “Clouds in the Sand.”

Dudrow, who has offered podcasting tutorials at the center since June, explained the need for students to develop skills in order to get trade jobs someday. He instructs youths to set up and edit podcasts, how to recruit guests, and so forth.
“Ultimately, we hope to get more kids involved,” Dudrow said of his workshops.

Mesquite’s perpetually busy mayor asserted that the STEAM center is worthy of his attention.
“I will help in any way I can with this most-needed facility,” Litman said.