For the last several years, lessons focusing on STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — subjects have been a priority for many educators.

For nearly a year now, Kara Pauley, youth services coordinator with the Dowagiac District Library, has shared with children stopping by the downtown institution another important letter to that acronym — “A,” standing for art.

Since last summer, the youth librarian has been putting together sets of a different take-home games and activities, called STEAM packs, for young visitors of the library to check out and experiment with at home. Whether it be giving children Boomwhacker musical tubes to teach them the basics of beat and rhythm or giving them a spool of yarn to begin knitting with, combing the visual and aural elements of the arts can enhance a child’s understanding of technology, science and math as well.

“In a world dominated by information and technology, students need to learn how to navigate through a society dominated by images as well,” Pauley said.

Pauley showed off several of these packs to members of the Dowagiac Rotary Club, during the organization’s meeting Thursday afternoon at the Elk’s Lodge. The youth librarian was invited to speak by her boss, Dowagiac District Library Director Matt Weston, who is also a member of Rotary.

Pauley had several of her STEAM packs — an assortment of games and activities zipped up inside transparent backpacks — in tow with her during her presentation Thursday. Going through each of them, she showed off their contents and discussed how they can enhance a children’s STEM education.

For example, her knitting packet — containing yarn, knitting instruments and instructions — can help children learn skills that can transfer to a number of different subjects, from coding to reading, she said.

“A story is made up of a beginning, middle and an end,” Pauley said. “The same goes for when you a working on your knitting: there is a beginning, middle and an end. It’s the same with coding. Those skills with knitting can transfer over.”

Other packs include Makey Makey invention kits, where kids can create simple circuit boards with everyday objects such as Play-Doh and bananas; Boomwhacker toys, plastic stick instruments designed to teach preschool aged children the basics of music; and nature kits, which contain natural objects such as rocks to demonstrate some basic science concepts.

Children can check out the packs for up to two weeks at a time, and they have been quite popular since their introduction, Pauley said.

“My shelf is almost never full,” she said.