AKRON, Ohio — The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, the Pro Football Hall of Fame and other local nonprofits are teaming up with COSI to distribute free STEM kits called “The Learning Lunchboxes” on Thursday, September 1.
The event takes place at the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank during its drive-thru grocery distribution from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The hands-on science kits will be given out for free at the drive-thru grocery distribution. They will help kick off Hunger Action Month, a national campaign coordinated by Feeding America to raise awareness of food insecurity in the United States. The kits are part of COSI’s “Ohio Distance Learning Initiative”, which partners with statewide meal providers, libraries, museums, and cultural institutions.
“We want to bring Science, technology, engineering, and math skills as well as the arts directly to the people,” said Steven White, Chief Strategy Officer at COSI. “We know that learning can be a challenge, especially now as we get back to the school year and we want to help accelerate learning.”
White explained, “We have been distributing these learning lunchboxes for almost two years. It was born out of the pandemic.”
According to a press release, the Akron-Canton Roadshow will kick off the second phase of COSI’s engagement with the Ohio Distance Learning Initiative as it distributes another 50,000 Learning Lunchbox STEM kits. COSI previously distributed thousands of kits in Newark, Cincinnati, Portsmouth, Toledo, Cleveland, Marion, Springfield, Youngstown, and Dayton.
“We know that we can move the needle around education and around learning, and we can do it together,” said White.
