To cap off May, the Makers Making Change (new window) team participated in two events that allowed us to reach hundreds of students from all across Canada. From May 28th to 29th, we were excited to host booths promoting STEM education at the Canada Wide Science Fair (new window) in Edmonton, Alberta and the Skills Canada National Competition (new window) in Toronto, Ontario.
At both events, we ran stations where students could learn how to solder and build battery interrupters (new window). At the Canada Wide Science Fair, students built 230 battery interrupters, while 328 were built at the Skills Canada National Competition — which are donated to clinicians and families to make toys compatible with switches without needing to solder and modify the electronics. In total, well over 800 students took part across both events.
“It was amazing. We had so many people wanting to participate, we ran out of materials,” says Community Manager Shanelle Gilman, who attended the Canada Wide Science Fair. “Ultimately, we were able to split the build into two steps so we could engage even more students. We were blown away by the interest.”
Through our STEM With Purpose (new window) initiative, at events like this, we engage youth in learning hands-on skills, fostering an interest in STEM education and STEM-related fields, all while producing assistive devices that can be used by Canadians with disabilities across the country.
This post originally appeared on the Makers Making Change (new window) website.