LANDON HAYES

BERGHOLZ — John Gregg Elementary student Landon Hayes got a glimpse of his future by attending the Envision by WorldStrides Program last summer.

Envision immerses youth in culture, leadership and STEM experiences by providing programs such as the Junior National Leaders Conference and National Youth Leadership Forums for Medicine, Business and Pathways to STEM.

Hayes, the son of Duane and Amanda Hayes of Bergholz, participated in the NYLF: Pathways to STEM program at Bowling Green University July 6-10. While there, he took part in various hands-on simulations and workshops that inspire forward-thinking elementary school students to become next-generation innovators, engineers, doctors, software developers and scientists. His schedule included a variety of sessions on social and emotional learning, medicine, engineering from robotics to building bridges, medicine and forensic science with a robotics tournament, and the week concluded with an engineering design showcase.

“I got to build a robot with a partner and we programmed and played soccer with other robots,” Hayes added. “I liked it because I got invited to something big.”

Hayes had a chance to learn on the BGU campus but stayed nearby with his family for the duration of the program. He was nominated by teacher Amy Sinicropi, who said he was a great choice to participate.

“I nominated him because he is quite intelligent and thinks above and beyond an average sixth-grade student. He is knowledgeable about many different topics,” she said. “When we completed projects, he would always think outside of the box and help his peers create a unique final project.”

Meanwhile, Hayes added that he would recommend the program to other students and he was interested in a future career of working with robots.

Now in its 40th year, Envision by WorldStrides provides opportunities from New York and Los Angeles to Seattle and Miami, while it offers innovative, safe, fun and empowering programs that enable students to discover their passion, explore a career, make a difference and realize their dreams. Envision became part of WorldStrides in 2018 and now provides nearly 20 different career, leadership, and technology programs that take place in cities across the United States and the world.

WorldStrides, the largest provider of educational travel and experiences in the United States, works with over 50,000 educators each year to help more than 550,000 students see the world — and themselves — in new ways. Programs range from elementary through post-graduate levels and feature specializations like performing arts, sports, career exploration, and study abroad.