Maranyundo Initiative

Spring 2019

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A Word from Our Chair | STEM MakerSpace | MakerSpace Ambassadors

A Word from Our Chair

Dear Friends,

In March I visited the school with Linda Beardsley, Chair of the Education Committee and Sara Willner-Giwerc, a Tufts University PhD candidate in Engineering Education with a specialty in the use of MakerSpace to advance STEM learning.

Our visit reminded us how these eager and smart Maranyundo girls are so thrilled to tackle new challenges and take advantage of opportunities that will significantly impact their learning and their lives. Take a look!

Warmest Regards,

Daphne Petri, Chair of the Board

STEM MakerSpace

To the delight of students and teachers alike, Sara arrived with robotics, LEGOS and a 3D printer to augment the MakerSpace. These new materials will encourage free play, scientific experimentation and hands-on problem solving and help teachers integrate STEM learning into all aspects of the curriculum - even the humanities!

The students immersing themselves in a coding problem in the MakerSpace.

3D Printer

Endless possibilities!

The 3D printer was put to immediate use. Dean Audace explored its inner workings and Sister Juvenal “printed” the first object: A whistle she can use to call the girls to attention. Perfect for a Head of School!

Students quickly learned how to write code that would instruct the printer to create objects. They watch, captivated, as spooled plastic thread took form and turned into their own creation: Colorful chalk holders to solve the problem of wayward chalk in the classroom.

Robotics

An automatic success!

With a little instruction in how to code, students were able to program COZMO and LEGO robots to perform specific actions, bringing joy and movement to the Maker Space.

Sister Juvenal could not contain her delight as she watched the robots move on command, demonstrating the students’ quick mastery of coding and other basic concepts.

LEGO

LEGO sets were a big hit!

Although many students had never seen them before, they quickly began building complex structures and scenes, including a triptych of various stages of Rwandan deforestation.

Stop Motion Camera

Capturing the moment!

The Photography Club was quick to begin experimenting with frame-by-frame animation using scenes and robots created at the LEGO station.

MakerSpace Ambassadors

This group of Seniors eagerly volunteered to be trained as “MakerSpace Ambassadors.” They worked tirelessly with Sara to become familiar with the materials and learn how to instruct others in a way that would encourage learning, creativity and problem solving.

With Sara back in the USA, these six students will serve as trainers for their peers and will develop a new cohort of MakerSpace Ambassadors for next year. Students teaching students – It’s the Maranyundo Way!

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