- Abigail P, Tech Girls MemberThe Career Investigator is a fantastic tool that I can't wait to share with my friends and my club! It's very exciting to be able to explore this many opportunities so close to me!
- TADL's Main Library PatronThe highlight of our week. We love coming in, selecting something new, and trying it out at home.
Amy Barritt, Kingsley Branch Library"I've had a regular young, male patron coming to the Kingsley Branch Library after school to play online video games for months. One day, the two of us spent a good half an hour playing with the Career Investigator, looking at all sorts of careers. It helped this patron consider things like industry growth, and quality of life issues like salary and being able to stay in Northern Michigan. It led him to think about how he should be preparing for college, and what types of classes he should be taking now. It was a perfect use of this tool, and I was amazed at how this patron was able to navigate and use the Career Investigator to its fullest potential with very little assistance. Total win!"
Barb P, Benzie Schools CounselorThe Career Investigator wheel was a big hit with our Benzie 9th graders! Very good information, easy to access and understand.
Benzonia Public LibraryAfter days of students taking the M-STEP, Mrs. Mclellan, Crystal Lake Elementary's 5th/6th-grade teacher, decided the students deserved a much-needed break. Students were able to have fun while learning with the 7 STEM kits checked out from Benzonia Public Library!
Betsie Valley District LibraryMr. Asa Kelley, a 2nd-grade teacher from Betsie Valley Elementary school, checked out 7 STEM kits for his class. He set up centers with the kits so that the children could rotate and explore each kit.
Camille H, parent“We have been taking our daughter to the library and checking out the AWESOME Newton’s Rd STEM Kits. We have so much fun with them (me and my husband mostly as she’s only 3.5) but kept meaning to say to you - such an awesome job with that!”
Chantel L, East Bay Branch LibrarySTEM kits add a whole new dimension to the library experience. While we love seeing families come in to read and choose books together, the kits engage our patrons in new and often unexpected ways. It's a pleasure to see parents, grandparents, and kids absorbed in working together to play and learn with our STEM kits.
Charity M, parent and winner of STEM Giveaway"John received a Polaroid Cube camera, and he has enjoyed it. He got some accessories to mount it on his bike to use underwater. He had much fun messing around with it."
Christian B, United Way Americore Vista volunteerNewton's Road has been a treated partner in helping us determine which information is relevant to 'career explorers' for our site.
Coral C., 5th Grader"From the moment I heard about [the STEM Kits] I wanted to go check one out for me and my brother. They looked hard but once you start working on them your brain started working and you could really finish them and they were fun."
Dawn H, Patron at East Bay Branch LibraryThe STEM kits have provided a variety that we were missing during distance learning.
Evelyn P., Central High School TechGirl"As a high school senior interested in the medical field, the career investigator was incredibly helpful. I discovered careers that I didn't even know existed, and was able to find ones that are flourishing in Northern Michigan specifically!"
Heidi Skodack, TCAPS Director of School Improvement - STEM & CTE, NR Board Member“In the past year and half, Newton’s Road has made so much progress with reach and visibility in our community.”
Jake with Leland Township LibraryThe STEM kits are going great. They are very popular and barely even have one left on the shelf at times.
Janine W, educator at GTACSI have used the Career Investigator to prepare lessons for my Kindergarten-5th grade science students. The layout allows me to quickly locate careers that relate to what we are studying, such as "Hydrologist" and "Physical Therapist," which both related to our study of lakes and oceans (water therapy to rebuild injured muscle).
Janine W, parent and educator at GTACS"What a wealth of information all in one spot! Great idea, creating a useful, detailed listing of the careers associated with our area."
Jason S, director of technical area at NMCThe Career Investigator website built by Newton's Road has already become a critical component of our career advising
Jason S, director of technical area at NMCIt has already become one of my "go-to" resources to highlight the exciting high-wage, high-skill STEM careers in the region
Joanna, Parent"My daughters talked about the fun educational [STEM] kits all year long, especially my 10 year old, who dreams of becoming an interior designer someday and found a kit that honed those skills.""
Jody L, Impact 100 grantGreat looking website and professional newsletter.
Joelle H, Parent"My 4-year old son was excited he got the STEM kit 'gearbot' from our local public library; he couldn't stop talking about it on the drive home! Building the bot in different ways; he's getting so much practice counting, adding, subtracting, and even dividing as he finds the correct number of gears and other parts for the build. Also, building his self-confidence, as he has built some of these on his own."
Krista Goldman, Director of Mentoring, Big Brothers Big Sisters“I am blown away by Newton Road's Career Investigative Platform. It is a fabulous, thorough, engaging tool that I am so excited to share with our Bigs and Littles. Thank you for including us in its use. We will link to the site via our web page dedicated to Bigs, as well as utilize it on a regular basis in our match support and resources communications.”
Maryellen P, Glen Lake Community Library Program CoordinatorIt was awesome to see the enthusiasm during our event; even grandparents gave some of them a try! No problems in sharing or moving on to the next table as kids were eager to discover almost every exhibit table. Our program was very successful.
Matthew A, East Bay Branch LibraryOur circulation improved; once the STEM kits opened to the public
Nannette M, ERDL DirectorWith how technology changes daily, kids need to develop STEM skills and learn how to think critically and problem-solve. These kits are fun; they’re fantastic; they engage kids and teach valuable skills without even realizing they’re learning.
parent of a TCAPS student"Our daughter loved listening to Mary Lagina reading a story as well as completing the STEM project."
Rob S, Chair of the Grand Traverse Manufacturing CouncilThe career investigator tool is a valuable resource that links local career opportunities and information to the skills required and the programs to build them.
Rose Zivkovich, Homeschool Parent"Newton's Road is an incredible resource for our community here in Northern Michigan!
They have led and supported many quality STEM events; they are a key partner in developing connections between students in our region and STEM related businesses and resources; they have developed a robust website that brings together families, businesses, and organizations with shared interests; and they have taken the lead on connecting local STEM/Maker organizations to really capitalize on collaborative brainstorming and cooperation.
Thank you Newton's Road for all of your hard work building up our community!"
Rotary Charities of Traverse CityWe couldn't be more excited to announce the recipients of our Spring Grants. Each of these 10 in Northern Michigan Nonprofits have an incredible passion for their mission, and we're proud to support their initiatives to build more resilient, thriving communities.
Sarah F, parent"It's a good way to kind of bring Science into the house and make it interesting."
Suttons Bay Bingham District LibraryOne mom stopped to tell me at storytime how much fun her family had assembling the little red roadster kit we have. She said they had to replace the batteries because they used it non-stop for a week
Traverse Bay Children's Advocacy CenterWe are so grateful for the support of Newton's Road to our Center. We have seen such incredible and genuine excitement on our clients' faces when they come in and see the possibilities that lie within each clear container. So many of our clients and families come into our center having experienced some sort of trauma and the smiles that we see on their faces when they find a STEM Kit activity that they enjoy, has been very rewarding. It has allowed for great bonding moments (caregivers and children and also therapists and clients) and also great moments of triumph when the kids complete the task. We are so appreciative that Newton's Road is providing children in our region access to fun and educational resources that will make this next generation truly capable of changing the world for the better.
Vicki S, Peninsula LibraryThis young patron stopped by Grandma, hoping Artie the Robot was on the shelf. It was! She and her brother had checked it out before and loved it! Grandma says the STEM kits are fun for visits with her favorite young people!
