Jaxon has always been interested in technology, whether it be computers or experimenting with Arduino boards. His other passion is helping people, so much so that he even tried making his own business when he was younger to help seniors with their technology needs — he learned coding building a website for the business.
So, when Neil Squire’s Makers Making Change (new window) program began recruiting youth leaders for its Clubs That Care (new window) initiative, it only made sense for the Grade 10 student to answer the call.
“It’s the exact sort of thing that’s right up my alley,” he says.
Jaxon had already been volunteering with Makers Making Change since taking part in our Holiday Hackathon last November. Now as a Clubs That Care leader, he has been leading student volunteers at his school in building assistive devices for people with disabilities.
Eight students took part in the first build event he hosted on May 7th, building Interact Switches (new window), adapting four Gazillion Bubble Blowers (new window), as well as a couple of Forest Joystick Mouse Hubs (new window).
He prepared for the event by placing posters around his school and going to classrooms to spread the word. During the event, his time was split between dealing with event logistics and helping the volunteers with their builds.
“I really enjoyed it. It was interesting running it, because there’s so many different things you can learn. I didn’t even have time to make a device during the event,” Jaxon shares. “I haven’t had the opportunity to do something with a lot of those moving parts before, like there’s so much planning that goes into this sort of thing. I think it’s really helpful for developing budgeting skills and collaboration skills.”
Jaxon was impressed with the camaraderie of the volunteers, who were happy to help each other when someone was struggling with a step during the build.
“It was a really supportive environment,” he says.
When the event hit its official end time at 4:45 pm, some students even stayed on and continued working on the devices, finishing the rest of the Interact Switches and bubble blowers.
Jaxon particularly enjoys that volunteering allows him to connect with people with similar interests.
“I really actually like the social aspect of it, too,” he says. “You’re interacting with a lot of people who are kind of in the same space, or have similar passions as myself. And I think it’s really good opportunity for building those connections with people, too.”
Jaxon plans on hosting more build events in the near future. For now, he’s happy to see the devices his club has already built make a difference in people’s lives.
“I think it’s so great that these devices are going to people who need them,” he says. “I’m really proud of what we accomplished, and I’m excited to organize more events like this in the future. It’s a powerful way to use tech skills to make a meaningful difference.”