20 1st graders from A.J. Dorsa attended the 2017 Maker Faire on May 19th in San Mateo, CA. The students, along with their chaperones, were treated to the “Biggest Show and Tell On Earth” where they were able to see first-hand the innovative exhibits made by inventors, engineers and technology enthusiasts.
The kids were able to see up close and personal robots of all sizes — some they were even able to climb like the Giant Ant– mechanical Lego sculptures, drones that can fly and swim, and familiar characters like the Star Wars droids: R2-D2 and BB-8.
In attendance was Dr. Babu Rahman, Director of Engineering at Mountz, Inc. A long-time colleague of SoloPoint, Dr. Rahman had the challenging task of explaining to 1st graders the principles of mechanical engineering, robotics, motion control AND keep their attention amidst the eye-popping exhibits. SoloPoint had invited Dr. Rahman because as co-founder of the non-profit organization Agami, he shares our advocacy for higher education. Agami’s mission is to provide education to children in impoverished areas of Bangladesh. “I have always believed that education was the single biggest factor enabling meaningful and lasting socio-economic change in people’s lives,” Dr. Rahman said.
For the students of A.J. Dorsa, the Maker Faire is their first exposure to engineering concepts. SoloPoint Solutions had sponsored this field trip to foster interest in pursuing a higher education, particularly within the engineering realm. By showing and explaining to them how a robot can raise its arm, the kids learned how subjects like science and math are practically applied through mechanical engineering.
The Maker Faire is not only educational; it’s also an avenue to show kids that engineering can be a fun and creative career path. With mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and software engineering jobs projected to see a continuous growth all the way to 2024 (according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics), SoloPoint Solutions understands that it is essential to fan the interest of future product designers, manufacturers and coders at an early age.
For more information on the Maker Faire, please go to: http://makerfaire.com/bay-area/