Pilot Program - The Mobile Makerspace

Two participants create while guided by a Makerspace Mentor

Within weeks of developing ideas for our permanent space, it was clear we didn't have the patience to wait for full funding, remodeling, etc. We felt we had something critical to offer our community and the team was ready to make it happen. To fast track our vision and meet the interests of our district schools, we came up with the idea of launching a mobile makerspace. This would give our Makerspace Mentors (high school students) an opportunity to pilot and learn what it is we are doing and what it is we don't yet know.

We devised a plan for two three-week sessions. These sessions would run more like a workshop, where we bring all of the materials, present some concepts and let the students guide things in a direction. Both sessions will
focus on creating basic electronic circuits, with slightly different end results in mind. Middle school first, then the upper elementary school.

Session 1: Middle School

Session one was launched in early March. Five Mentors, twenty participants, and one supervising teacher met in our middle school STEAM Lab (an amazing place!) and spent three weeks exploring and creating with wires, paper, conductive tape, LEDs, batteries and more! By the end of the three weeks, we were determined to send students home with their own kits of materials to continue their exploration and growth.

Week one was spent introducing students to circuits. We used simple Light Up Edison kits to get kids quickly hands on with circuits. They were creating buzzers, lighting up LEDs and learn about resistors, switches and more. I wasn't sure how intriguing this kit would be for the students, but they loved it. They combined several kits to make bigger results, and ultimately started adding real materials into the kit to see that these kits were not just toys, they were themselves, the real deal. We wound down the days activities by explaining the types of projects the kids could work on over the next two weeks and letting them brainstorm some ideas.

Weeks two and three were spent developing products from concepts into actual materials. We put together raw material kits for kids to share and build from. The Mentors did an amazing job of catching various ideas and configurations, using our brought materials, along with materials shared by the STEAM Lab, and those students brought from home. The two hours passed quite quickly. The students built and tested their ideas. They met with successes and failures. Not everyone left with a completed project, but everyone had fun on the way, and everyone had the opportunity to leave with enough materials that they could continue exploring once they got home.

A Tweet from Ms. Carreiro, one of our team leaders:

I love seeing our mobile makerspace in action! Major #clockerpride for our students working together and innovating. @AHSTechTeacher pic.twitter.com/8IKjlVzmY7

— Lauren Carreiro (@clockerdean) March 22, 2017

Conclusion from Session 1

We certainly could have done with more time, but I feel we did what we set out to do... inspire a younger generation to play with things that may otherwise be left mysterious and unapproachable. We are helping to cultivate the creative and curious mind. As we head back to the high school this week and prepare for session 2, I hope that the Mentors and the students in the program found it all worth while.

Until next time, make it your world.