Ring’s End Sponsorship Helps Stepping Stones Build Excitement for Maker Movement

The family-owned lumber, building supply and home improvement company sponsors the museum’s Mega Making exhibit, which gives children the opportunity to use real tools and real materials to create
 
Thanks in part to a generous donation by Darien-based Ring’s End Inc, children are tinkering, creating and making all school year long at Norwalk’s Stepping Stones Museum for Children.  The wildly-popular Mega Making exhibit returned to the museum in September, blending learning and play in a unique, hands-on manner that celebrates the creativity in our children.  Featured at Stepping Stones during the summer months in 2015 and 2016, the expanded, new-and-improved Mega Making experience is being hosted until Labor Day during this stint at the museum to allow school groups to put their students’ building and making skills to the test during school visits.  In addition to the important support provided by Primary Sponsor Ring’s End, the Mega Making exhibition was also made possible by the generosity of Supporting Sponsor First County Bank.
 
“Stepping Stones Museum is a wonderful asset to the community that we are proud to support,” said David Campbell, President and Chief Executive Officer at Ring’s End, Inc. “It’s great to see children using real materials and tools and taking a hands-on approach to learning in the Mega Making exhibit." 
 
Mega Making was designed by Stepping Stones to celebrate creativity in all children. These children will be the future engineers, designers, inventors, artists, teachers, scientists and the ones shaping the world. The Mega Making experience is organized into a four main areas: 
  • Art
  • Textile
  • Construction/Woodworking
  • Book Nook/Future Ideas 
Helpful staff members will be there to lend a hand, whether it’s working a needle and thread for the first time, practicing using wrenches and screwdrivers, taking a part a used computer keyboard, tinkering with batteries and buzzers or picking out the perfect artist medium. There’s something for all ages as, time and again, we saw children and their caregivers enjoying this unique experience together during its first two runs at the museum.
 
 “We want to lay the foundation for lifelong curiosity and innovation,” said Kim Kuta Dring, Director of Learning and Experience. “Making is a learning process. When children and families create something using real materials and tools, they gain a huge sense of accomplishment and confidence. They also learn that mistakes are part of the creative process.”
 
Making, at its core, is the act of creating something. The current "Maker Movement" in the United States is working to inspire students to become creators of learning rather than passive consumers of learning. Mega Making takes a constructivist approach to learning by giving adults, children and students the freedom, materials, tools, and support to build 21st Century skills including Flexibility and Adaptability; Initiative and Self-Direction; Critical Thinking and Problem Solving; and Creativity and Innovation.
 
The Mega Making exhibit is made possible through the generosity of Primary Sponsor Rings End and Supporting Sponsor First County Bank. For more information on Mega Making, visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org/MegaMaking.
 
PHOTO: David Campbell, President and Chief Executive Officer at Ring’s End, Inc. (fourth from left), smiles with (left to right), Sheri Cifaldi-Morrill, Director of Exhibit Design and Delivery at Stepping Stones;  William E. Jeffries, III, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Stepping Stones and Cynthia Brandt, Business Development Consultant at Stepping Stones; after presenting the museum staff with a significant contribution to become the Primary Sponsor of the museum’s Mega Making exhibit. Photo courtesy of Stepping Stones.
 
Stepping Stones Museum for Children (www.steppingstonesmuseum.org) in Norwalk is an award-winning, private, non-profit 501(c)(3) children’s museum committed to broadening and enriching the lives of children and families. Located on five acres in Mathews Park, the LEED Gold certified museum encompasses five hands-on galleries, multimedia theater, Family and Teacher Resource Center, café and retail store. Stepping Stones also offers onsite educational events and workshops, school and group programs and traveling resources for schools, libraries and youth-serving organizations.
N
Submitted by Norwalk, CT

Become a Local Voice in Your Community!

HamletHub invites you to contribute stories, events, and more to keep your neighbors informed and connected.

Read Next