A day meant to showcase the inventiveness and creativity of participants, Maker Days and Maker Fairs have become a North American phenomena. The idea is to bring a creative community together to create or design innovative approaches to a variety of challenges. Inspired by the notion, Bowen Island’s Island Discovery Learning Centre brought Maker Day to Bowen.
Together, parent Charmaine Heffelfinger and teacher Cara Felde put together a day of challenge and creativity for the students.
Divided into multi-age groups, the kids were assigned to invent a vehicle that could move a minimum of eight students plus cargo from anywhere on Bowen to anywhere on the Lower Mainland. The vehicle required renewable energy, and would have to deliver the students safely and in better time than the ferry.
With building supplies that ranged from cardboard to wire to rolls of tape and bottles of glue, the students set to work. Their first challenge was to be able to conceptualize something that hadn’t been invented and then explain their concept to their peers.
Within the group, the students had to assimilate ideas or choose from each others ideas in order to go from concept to product. Each step was an exercise in communication and cooperation.
Final designs ranged from a cable car to a hybrid boat-plane with extendable legs that could walk over obstacles. Vehicles included energy systems such as music-power and biofeedback power, and a few plans included lounges and rehearsal space. A few kids commented that the most challenging part of the experience was the discussion: bringing their own ideas to blend and formulate one cohesive group idea.
At the end of the day, 10-year-old Brigitte articulated what seemed to be a common consensus among the participants: “It’s just so cool to know that you can build such amazing things!”
