The Young Engineers and their Missing Gloves and Goggles (Blog 2) - Adriana Millan

Michael hands to yourself! Guys, get in a straight line! Safety first, remember to wear your gloves and goggles. You’re not wearing gloves, where are your gloves? Someone get the frisbee, okay, I’ll get the frisbee. Chaka! Claudia! Someone?

Curator Kids Club was my permanent stop. Within this program kids from the 6th to 8th grade are able to explore this year's theme, Engineering. For the duration of three weeks, those selected will face challenges and projects that incorporate the key theme Engineering. With the assistance of Rosemary (program coordinator), Chaka (teacher), Elanine (teacher), Cindy (teacher’s aide), Claudia (teacher’s aide), Anthony (volunteer), and Adriana (the best volunteer in the world) and the use of tools and materials provided, they will build four key projects - a bridge, a mechanical claw, a remote control car, and the final task of constructing an arcade game to present in the California Science Center. Not forgetting to mention, they will face smaller projects along the way as challenge exercises.

The program is split into two sessions to allow a larger group of individuals the opportunity to gain the experience. I walked into the third week of session one. It was a pleasure to work with that group. They were intelligent, even if they were destructive. Each carried themselves highly with hearing and perceiving themselves as future engineers. As I held conversations with them, I was amazed to hear their plans going forward - so young and already filled with ambition.

As part of the third and final week, it was time for each group to build their arcade game. Cardboard, syringes, Popsicle sticks, and many other materials in the classroom could and would be incorporated. Ideas were thrown back and forth the morning the classes were informed they would commence building their arcade games. Pinball machine, skee ball, air hockey, knock the bottle down, toss the ring, and miniature golf. Within each game a mechanical feature was required.

I walked around observing each group, here and there I would sit down and they would share their ideas. They all sounded great and began sketching models of what they would begin to build if and when approved. As each group gained approval, one by one they began bringing their sketches to life. The days progressed and so did the progress of each group. As the days ended, I was sentenced to cleaning and reorganizing the materials and tools the children would use day after day. I bonded with many of them during breaks where I supervised them, but more importantly by having fun. Allowing myself to be a kid again, enjoying games of four square (my skills have definitely improved) - I channeled the elementary Adriana. By about three to four years, I was ahead. And, by three to four years, I was behind. Ahead of the students, but behind the teachers. This is a place I know I can learn from.

Friday came and it was time to display all the arcade games. It was interesting to see them all completed and painted. My favorite had to be Space Balls, a take on skee ball. It was painted in a funky manner that I enjoyed. It was a fun game, even if it seemed rigged - getting the ball inside the holes seemed almost impossible. But, around these kids nothing was impossible. Well, except forgetting safety, gloves and goggles, gloves and goggles, gloves and goggles, I could never say it enough.

As they received their certificates of completion it was my final goodbye to cheer them on as loud as I was allowed to, as my send off to them. For some it will be the start of middle school and others their last. Soon high school will come, then college.

Where’s your parent? Okay, it was a pleasure meeting you. Goodbye young engineer.