21st Century Portable Learning Fab Lab

 A portable 21st Century Portable Learning Lab for poor and developing countries where students need this education the most.

       The problem that I committed to solving is bringing 21st Century learning to all students everywhere where it is needed the most,especially in poor and disadvantaged countries.The problem is many places all around the world do not have access to this kind of technology and media.A portable 21st Century Portable Fab Lab to all students everywhere is the solution where it can be mobile and unpacked easily.

     The solution I am proposing is to create a portable fab lab using simple but easily accessible tools like solid power to use Ultimaker’s 2Go 3D printers,Chibitronics LED stickers and Chibi Chip micro processor,Morphi App for designing,and Foldscope and other Maker technologies to bring STEAM learning to the students who need it the most.

My solution will change the world as  education is the great leveler for many of the worlds problems that we will dealing with now and in the future.Giving remote and poor students via our lab experience will literally change their lives.

     This is both a new application of existing technology, as well as a process as this fab lab will be continued to be redesigned for the betterment of its application to help young people learn from this mobile unit.A fab lab is not a new idea, but using solar power and providing design thinking and education to those who do not have access is groundbreaking, especially those in remote places and impoverished countries.

     Technology is integral with at least the 3D printing portion of the lab. There is low tech with high tech in this lab, such as the Foldscope, and the Chibitronics, which look seemingly simple, but have great educational outcomes when used in the field.The other issue is with the solar power, which Ultimaker has already tested when it was used in Africa via solar power to run their 2Go printer.

    The goal(s) would be to see the easiest way to implement and create a workable model that can be used and implemented in a variety of settings. Weather, electrical needs, and technical needs would need to be addressed, especially in solar power and computer/iPad needs.Shipping,packaging, and other processes would need to be figured into the equation, as well as other practical issues.

     I would like to expand and grow, using corporate partners like Ultimaker, Chibitronics, MakeyMakey, and Morphi.I would like to scale it so that more young people can benefit from these portable units, and that we can have educators teaching educators, and that local teachers can take over and implement the mission of this portable fab lab. adventure fund, or university funding to take over a good deal of the cost would a growth factor.

    This will be deployed though colleges/universities, K-12 schools and local community service areas, and be very DIY and grass roots.They will have access to it via the above community partners, via local access so that the proper young people have access to it first.

    Right now, it is only myself and my ambassadorships through MakeyMakey, Chibitronics, Morphi app, and Ultimaker. I provide workshops for adults on occasion, but mostly K-12 students.In Philadelphia with Title-1 students. They are directly affected by my teaching and fab lab interaction, design thinking , and more in the growth that I see and the excitement of learning 21st century skills and technology.

      I hope to expand and hire other educators in the next 12 months to be serving the solution. In the next 12 months, hopefully up to a dozen. I will be serving them by providing  the best makerspace/fab lab experience that I can provide.In 3 years, I hope to triple that number.The effects would be growth of 21st Century skills, depending on how long the fab lab stays at each location. As an educator with 22+ years teaching, I know what to look for in terms of learning goals for a lab such as this one.

    By nature, I am an extremely hard worker, and networker. The exposure my ambassadorships give me, and how they promote me, is a way to get more resources and involvement in my project. These are cutting edge companies that make industry standard education tools. Plus,I am a influencer, as well as my professional persona with my workshops, lecture, and presentations.

    I currently do not have a revenue model as I am non-profit as I am DIY and gross roots, so with no overhead with donations from my ambassadorships, the model would need to be constructed for expansion and sustainability, via grants or fees from another fund revenue source.

     I have gone so far as I can go personally, I want it to go past me and play it forward.I am not trying to make a million dollars, I believe Solve can give me to opportunity to expose what I am trying on my own to people that can help me in my journey to give this kind of education to the masses.This is why I am applying to Solve.

    Money,exposure to the right people, companies, educational institutions, and more.This is how Solve can help me, with networking and exposure. I can not do this by myself,I need help and guidance on how to make this more of a reality on a global scale.