LMCS adds a TEAMS club

By Michelle Adams-Thomas | Manor Ink

Livingston Manor, NY – Livingston Manor Central School is forming a new TEAMS Club. TEAMS stands for technology, engineering, arts, math and science, and is sponsored by the Sullivan County BOCES program. In the club, students work together to solve problems using their own knowledge as well as learning new things along the way.

The club is very hands on. “We will go around town or we’ll go around school and brainstorm on different things that we think maybe need a little extra boost, and we’ll set out ways to get those things improved,” said LMCS teacher Debra Davis, the club’s advisor. Even large problems like potholes and incorrect street signs could potentially be fixed thanks to the club members.

Several other districts in the county have a TEAMS club. Though students from different schools will work together at times, they don’t work on the same projects. Since the projects are based on improvement of their individual towns, it would not make sense, “Every school that has an advisor and a team will be able to do their project because all projects are community-based,” Davis said.

The projects will be spread over an extended period of time, based on what the work entails. Students at each school will work together on ideas to fix a problem, and then they will build a model to eventually solve the real-life situation. “Students will work for maybe a multi-year time period to finish their projects,” Davis said.

Not only will students work with peers from their own school, but they will also meet with other students from different districts. “It’s not a competition, but we do get together with other schools and share our ideas. Then we’ll have a showcase in May, where we show what we’ve done,” explained Davis.

During the Ink’s interview with Davis, she described her overall goal for the LMCS TEAMS club. “I really want to work with a group of young people, getting them started on their future and inspiring them to think about how they can solve problems in their community, in their family and in their own life.” She wants the students to experience new things and learn to think outside the box.

The requirements for joining the club are still being discussed. Students must be in grades 7 through 12, though those with poor grades may not be allowed to join. The club will meet after school on Thursdays from 3 to 4 p.m. For more information, students and parents should contact Debra Davis at Debra.davis@lmcs.is or by calling the school at 845-439-4400.