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Library NExT
Library NExT (Network of Education x Training) is a series of workshops for elementary, middle, and high school students on topics including circuits, Python programming language, virology, and 55+ other STEAM courses. Initially started as a pilot program at six San Diego libraries in 2017, it expanded to 24 locations in 2021, and to all City of San Diego library locations in 2022. This San Diego Public Library program is a collaboration with UC San Diego Extended Studies and Sally Ride Science.
For more information, contact us at LibraryNext@sandiego.gov.
Admit One: College Prep Academy Free SAT/ACT test preparation classes. Spring 2024 registration now open.
Spring 2024 STEAM Programs
Spring 2024 courses are now live!
Programs for April through June are either in-person or virtual via Zoom. Registration opens approximately one month prior to course dates for all programs. If supplies are needed for virtual programs, you will receive an email directing you to your requested City of San Diego library branch location to pick up your supplies. Zoom links for virtual programs will be sent to your provided email address within 24 hours of the programs.
April
Virtual Animation and Video Game Design Using Scratch
Tuesday, April 9, 2024 | 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. | Register Here
Location: SDPL Virtual Branch | Level: Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Make zombies, princesses and flying carpets come to life as you develop your own online game! Using Scratch software, you will learn about character and storyboard design as you use basic animation to design games. This is a virtual program.
Game Development and Design
Thursday, April 11, 2024 | 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. | Register Here
Location: Carmel Mountain Ranch Library | Level: Elementary School (Grades 3-5)
Take your first steps in learning how to build a professional 3D game! Students will explore game engines, tools to make video games, and databases to get the resources that you need to build a video game. This class will also cover video game mechanics, the programming logic behind the mechanics, and how they work with your favorite games. This is a non-programming class. This is an in-person workshop.
Squid Dissection
Saturday, April 13, 2024 | 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. | Register Here
Location: Linda Vista Library | Level: Elementary School (Grades 3 - 5)
Things may get a little inky as students work together to dissect a real squid. Students will develop scientific research skills as they learn about squids and other animals that make their homes in ocean ecosystems. This is an in-person workshop.
Slimy Sea Creatures
Monday, April 15, 2024 | 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. | Register Here
Location: City Heights/Weingart Library | Level: Elementary School (Grades 3-5)
How do octopuses change color and why do oysters make pearls? Students will investigate how slimy sea creatures live and thrive in their underwater homes, then create an artwork inspired by what they learned. This is an in-person workshop.
Virtual Disney Style: Act, Sing and Stretch
Monday, April 15, 2024 | 4:15 - 5:45 p.m. | Register Here
Location: SDPL Virtual Branch| Level: Elementary School (Grades 3 - 5)
Want to learn how singers and actors get ready for the spotlight? You’ll discover how to use active vocal warm-ups, physical stretches and tongue twisters to loosen up before acting out familiar movie scenes and songs. This is a virtual program.
Virtual Craftronics
Thursday, April 18, 2024 | 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. | Register Here
Location: SDPL Virtual Branch| Level: Elementary School (Grades 3 - 5)
Learn about electronics and circuits while creating a fun craft project! Previous projects include a moving origami swan, light-up LED bracelets, and robot bugs. This is a virtual workshop.
Pirate Science
Saturday, April 20, 2024 | 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. | Register Here
Location: Pacific Beach/Taylor Library | Level: Elementary School (Grades 3 - 5)
Ahoy! Life as a pirate isn’t just rough and rugged – it requires scientific ingenuity. In this class, students will learn about the traditional suite of nautical arts, including celestial navigation, sword fighting, weather prediction, knot tying, ship construction, and sailing. Come aboard, mateys! This is an in-person workshop.
Electronics Breadboard Design Projects
Tuesday, April 23, 2024 | 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. | Register Here
Location: La Jolla/Riford Library | Level: Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Put electric circuits to use as you build a light-sensitive nightlight, sound-effects board or pocket flashlight. You will learn how to interpret circuit drawings and how to use capacitors and transistors in fun projects. This is an in-person workshop.
Pirate Science
Saturday, April 27, 2024 | 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. | Register Here
Location: Clairemont Library | Level: Elementary School (Grades 3-5)
Ahoy! Life as a pirate isn’t just rough and rugged – it requires scientific ingenuity. In this class, students will learn about the traditional suite of nautical arts, including celestial navigation, sword fighting, weather prediction, knot tying, ship construction, and sailing. Come aboard, mateys! This is an in-person workshop.
Fire and Ice
Tuesday, April 30, 2024 | 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. | Register Here
Location: Rancho Peñasquitos Library | Level: Elementary School (Grades 3-5)
Students will get up close and personal with erupting volcanoes and frozen icebergs – all without burning or freezing themselves. Learn fascinating and wacky facts, play silly games and become an Earth science genius! This is an in-person workshop.
May
Slime and Non-Newtonian Fluids
Monday, May 13, 2024 | 4:15 - 6:15 p.m. | Register Here
Location: Otay Mesa-Nestor Library | Level: Elementary School (Grades 3-5)
It's slime time! Just like slime, Earth's glaciers, mudslides, and quaking bogs are made of fluids that are neither liquid nor solid. In this workshop, students will use slime to investigage how things work in the natural world. This is an in-person workshop.
Introduction to Circuits Using Makey Makey
Friday, May 17, 2024 | 3:45 - 5:45 p.m. | Register Here
Location: North University Community Library| Level: Elementary School (Grades 3-5)
Do electronics and bananas go together? Absolutely! Using Makey-Makey circuit boards, students will create fun circuits that incorporate everyday items like bananas, gummy bears, aluminum foil, or bouncy balls. Students will then use their new circuitry skills to make games, music, or art. This is an in-person workshop.
Introduction to Circuits Using Makey Makey
Friday, May 31, 2024 | 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. | Register Here
Location: Point Loma/Hervey Library | Level: Elementary School (Grades 3-5)
Do electronics and bananas go together? Absolutely! Using Makey-Makey circuit boards, students will create fun circuits that incorporate everyday items like bananas, gummy bears, aluminum foil, or bouncy balls. Students will then use their new circuitry skills to make games, music, or art. This is an in-person workshop.
June
Game Studio
Monday, June 3, 2024 | 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. | Register Here
Location: Rancho Bernardo Library | Level: Elementary School (Grades 3-5)
Dive into how games are made! Work together to explore the different aspects of game development and the unique tools each role uses. While artists develop graphics and animations, sound engineers create audio effects, and programmers integrate all the pieces into a final game. This is an in-person workshop.
Eclipse
Tuesday, June 4, 2024 | 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. | Register Here
Location: Valencia Park/Malcolm X Library | Level: Elementary School (Grades 3-5)
Did you observe Solar Eclipse 2024? Are you fascinated by Earth's celestial events? Join us for this workshop, where you can explore the evolution of the science that led to the current view of the Earth-Moon-Sun system and learn how to predict and observe eclipses. Students will build pinhole cameras that will allow them to observe an eclipse safely. This is an in-person workshop.
Exploring the Science of Harry Potter
Tuesday, June 4, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. | Register Here
Location: San Ysidro Library | Level: Elementary School (Grades 3-5)
Did you know a lot of the magic in the world of Harry Potter is rooted in real science? Explore how the Harry Potter books and movies reflect concepts in genetics, chemistry, herbology, and more. This is an in-person workshop.
Gorging on Geology
Wednesday, June 12, 2024 | 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. | Register Here
Location: Skyline Hills Library | Level: Elementary School (Grades 3-5)
Desserts meet geology in this delicious scientific mash-up! Students will learn about rocks and minerals while making yummy treats (for instance, sugar crystals) inspired by Earth’s inner layers. If you love to cook and learn about Earth science, then this is the class for you. This is an in-person workshop.
Parent Education Sessions
Parent and Caregiver Education (PACE) sessions inform parents and families on a variety of current trends and topics in youth education, including youth brain development, social media and addiction, educational standards, and essential skills.
Brave New Worlds: The Brain, Social Media, and Gaming
Monday, March 25, 2024 | 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. | Register Here
Location: Rancho Penasquitos Library | Level: Parents & Families
Social media and gaming are a large part of our daily existence, but affects children and young adults in distinctive ways. This session explores the impacts of social media and gaming on mental and physical well-being; cognitive and socioemotional development; creativity and critical thinking; resilience; technology addiction; among others. This is an in-person session.
Social and Emotional Needs and Stress Reduction
Monday, June 3, 2024 | 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. | Register Here
Monday, June 3, 2024 | 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. | Register Here
Location: Rancho Peñasquitos Library | Level: Parents & Families
Parent and Caregiver Education: Socioemotional Needs and Stress Reduction offers parents a foundational understanding of emotional development over the lifespan and its connection to brain development, learning and memory. The workshop also examines the neuroscience of stress, providing proven approaches to reduce anxieties experienced by school-aged children and young adults. This is an in-person workshop.
STEAM Videos
The San Diego Public Library is excited to present a series of videos for our Library NExT STEAM programs! These fun videos will inspire and engage students of all ages to keep up on their STEAM studies while experiencing STEAM subjects and entertaining exploration!
For more Library NExT videos click here!
The Great Geography Clues Game
Do you have what it takes to earn the crown of The Great Geography Clues Game? You will be exploring the world, while given several clues along the way in order to guess the famous place or city in question. Take the quiz and then challenge your family and friends to beat your score. Good luck!
Glowies: Crafting with Instamorph
Learn about plastic casting and electronics with Instamorph - a safe, non-toxic, low temperature thermoplastic. Similar to hot glue but you can mold it, or shape it by hand. When it cools, it turns hard again. Put an LED in it while it's soft and attach a coin cell battery to make a "Glowie". The molds are also easy to make, from 100% silicone and cornstarch.
Craftronics: Popsicle Stick Flashlight
Learn how to create a simple circuit flashlight project using the items around the house like popsicle sticks, binder clips and aluminum foil.
Introduction to Python Programming
Get a jump start into python programming. This video covers the installation of python with Anaconda, print statements, and variables. After viewing the video, you have a chance to study python programming with a free textbook provided in the links below.
SketchUp
SketchUp is a free 3D modeling computer program for a wide range of drawing applications such as architecture, furniture design, 3D printing, interior design, landscape architecture, civil and mechanical engineering, film and video game design. In this short video, you will learn how to build a simple 3D object using basic commands and tools which will allow you to turn all your ideas into 3 dimensions.
Partners
This project is funded in whole or in part by the Library Foundation SD.
