August 1st:Presentations!

Last minute presentation practice!

Discussions!

Last minute testing:

Off to 4-240:

Catawawa!

Waforte!

Team Furrari!

Team Maca!

The Right Boys:

Here's the links to the final presentations:

• Katawawa (Basketball Shooter)

• MACA (Dancing Robot)

• Wright Boys (Plane)

• Waforte (Fountain)

• Furrari (Cat Car)

Ed Moriarty describes the beginnings of the EDW program:

Origins and Development

The Engineering Development Workshop summer program began around 2007, stemming from a student idea. Shane Colton, an undergraduate at the time, assisted a FIRST Robotics team in Atlanta. During the summer, the team, composed of local high school students, wanted to continue their work, leading to the creation of a Segway using re-purposed FIRST robotics parts. The following year, a different group, including some returning students, decided to build a go-kart, further supported by purchased parts. This annual tradition continued, evolving into a significant program.

Edgerton Center's Educational Philosophy

At the Edgerton Center, the belief is that education should be student-driven, with students acting as the primary agents of change and innovation. The center emphasizes listening to students and supporting their ideas, which has become a core aspect of its educational model. This approach is not just limited to local efforts but is also promoted globally.

International Impact and Student Initiatives

Students from various countries, including Mexico, Italy, and Spain, have embraced this model. For example, Tony from Chihuahua, Mexico, independently organized a hackathon upon returning from the program. These international experiences underscore the program’s broader goal of empowering students to initiate and lead projects.

Introduction and panel discussion:

Student Panel Discussion

A panel of students shared their experiences, highlighting the program’s open and supportive environment. They appreciated the freedom to make decisions, the sense of community, and the emphasis on creativity and brainstorming. This contrasted with more traditional educational settings, emphasizing the unique value of the program’s approach to fostering a collaborative and inventive learning atmosphere.

Cooper: What I really liked about this program was how free-form and open it was. I was given suggestions on how to do things, but we, the students, got to make a lot of decisions. We had guidance, but it wasn't constricting. It was very open, and I learned a lot. I just want to say that I loved the community we built; everyone was helping each other, like a little community.

Rer: It was very inviting. Everyone had a lot of experience, and the mentors and teachers were helpful when you asked questions. I liked that creativity was one of the most important things here. In real life, society doesn't always value creativity, but here, you can brainstorm and come up with projects that may seem crazy but aren't stupid.

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Marvelin-always in style!