Bicycle pump-powered rockets, lunch box speakers, and paper airplanes are just a few of the projects students have tackled in an after-school program launched by MAKE, a leader in the DIY movement that celebrates the “right to tweak, hack, and bend any technology to your will.”
For students who participate in the after-school program at McClymonds High School in Oakland, California, hacking, bending and tweaking translate into hands-on training in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Meeting twice weekly at two hours a pop, students learn soldering, circuits, and basic mechanical systems. Youth Radio spoke with Maker-in-Residence Alex Nolan and junior Dakila Grayson about the benefits of bringing DIY into the classroom, and making science and technology not only relevant but awesome in the eyes of youth.
Youth Radio Investigates is a science reporting series in which young journalists collect and analyze original data with professional scientists, and then tell unexpected stories about what they discover. Check out more from Youth Radio’s science desk here.
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