Community service thru STEM education

As a result of an after-school short program where the presenter had students apply knowledge to design something useful, a toy adaptation for disabled children, a full program emerged that ... See More

As a result of an after-school short program where the presenter had students apply knowledge to design something useful, a toy adaptation for disabled children, a full program emerged that immersed students in STEM education while conducting community service to create adaptations for disabilities ranging from autism to age. Wonderful idea and students seemed to enjoy science and math more when they knew there was a purpose to it. I looked it up because it sounded like a good idea and found more information at http://itestlrc.edc.org/project_profile/invention-factory

A Program With a Specific Goal

This article is about a voluntary three year project in Hawaii that engaged secondary students in computers and mechanics projects to improve human computer interaction for individuals with ... See More

This article is about a voluntary three year project in Hawaii that engaged secondary students in computers and mechanics projects to improve human computer interaction for individuals with disabilities. The goal of this program was to motivate students to become involved in engineering and science careers by exposing them to electronics, mechanics, mathematics, and computer programming to conduct needs analysis, design, fabrication, and evaluation of devices that they created. One of the results of The Invention Factory showed students that they can invent and produce practical solutions to real problems and makes them aware of entrepreneurial opportunities. Students learned skills that they had never before experiences or mastered. This is an interesting approach to involving underserved school populations such as minorities, girls, at-risk students.