Our school has a MakerSpace and a robotics team, but I want them to be more integrated. Instead of piecing things together from kits, our students already design and fabricate parts using our 3D printer and simple tools. I want them to take their building to the next level with pro-quality tools.
Our school is awesome!
It's a public magnet high school with an engaged and diverse student population. Kids come from all over the city to attend our school. They're bright, energetic and always looking to seize new opportunities. Our students are always looking for chances to make, build and do.
My Project
My students are bright, but have limited experience with tools. Since we have a robotics team at our school, our students need to be able to fabricate parts on a regular basis. Using these tools, they'll be able to work on the robot that they've designed and built as well as work on engineering tasks in their physics classes.
Specifically, we're asking for a compound miter saw and a band saw, which students will use to cut and shape wood, aluminum and plastic for robots and other engineering projects. We're also asking for a bench top grinder and a bench top sander, so they can shape and finish things they're working on. Finally, we asked for safety goggles (to keep bits of metal out of our eyes) and a Shop Vac (to keep bits of metal off the floor).
Getting some time to learn safe and proper technique with these items is going to be huge for my students. This will allow them to put their ideas within reach and make awesome stuff!
For my students who are interested in studying design or engineering, this gives them a chance to work with tools, prototyping and fabrication.
For my students who want to go directly into careers, this will give them a chance to develop job skills and experience with problem solving and working with tools.
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