Sarasota families looking for Saturday morning plans just got a good one. STEAM Saturdays are back this fall at the Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab, 4452 S. Beneva Road, with weekly hands-on classes for students in grades 2-3, 4-5 and 6-8. Sessions run from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each Saturday beginning Oct. 3, and every class costs $50 with all supplies included. Step Up For Students scholarship funds are accepted, which keeps the door open for families who need it.
The fall schedule mixes seasonal fun with serious tools. Kids can sign up for Haunted Alchemy, Bites & Frights, an Autumn Escape Room, Machine Madness, Fireball Chemistry, Astronaut Adventures, Automotive Engineering, Robotics and Creepy Crafts. There’s even a pickle-powered aerospace lesson tied to National Pickle Day. Along the way, participants get time on vinyl cutters, laser cutters and 3D printers, and they take their finished projects home.
What sets this program apart is who’s teaching. High school students on the Fab Lab’s Student Planning & Education Committee design and lead the classes, giving younger kids near-peer role models and giving teens real leadership experience. It’s a model that builds skills on both ends of the age range. Registration is open now at suncoastscience.org. Which fall class would your kid pick first?
