Arkadelphia High School held a Makers Fair for all fourth and fifth grade students on April 23. Mr. Bud McMillion and AHS Engineering students hosted the fair in the AHS Engineering Lab, giving students an opportunity to experience the new Badger Idea Lab.
Students designed and printed necklaces using the new Makerspace 3D printers, built towers using critical thinking, and crafted planes out of BALSA wood. The Makers Fair began at 9 a.m. and lasted until 3 p.m.
“Our Makers Fair was awesome,” McMillion said. “We had 20 students from Peake and the high school who worked together to make some amazing balsa wood airplanes and 3D Printed necklaces.”
Funded by the Ross Foundation, the Badger Idea Lab is a Makerspace available to all students, as well as the Arkadelphia community. Participants are required to partake in a tour and safety session before using the equipment.
The lab offers Computer Design Workstations, Raspberry Pi Workstations, Arduino Workstations, 3D printers, a CNC router, a CNC Mini-mill, and a poster/banner printer. Other tools include a power sander, scroll saw, drill press, and fabrication tools and materials.
“Our Makerspace has had a successful first year,” McMillion said. “High school students in my Engineering Design and Development class have worked with members of the community to help make products ranging from a replacement shower part to a giant green “O” for the high school musical. Our showpiece product was a trophy for this year’s Crawfest.”
The Badger Idea Lab is open to the public on Mondays from 6 to 9 p.m. For more information, contact Bud McMillion at Bud.McMillion@arkadelphiaschools.org.
See photos from the Makers Fair HERE.