Building Brighter Bulldogs is a Makerspace Program at Westwood Hills Elementary School that provided select students with 35 hours of hands-on skills learning.
“As the first-year grant, we were kind of in a pilot program to see what we could make happen, if it was going to be successful, and I think once you see what I’m going to show you, you’ll agree we were very successful last [school] year in what we did,” Library Media Specialist Amanda Hall said.
Students answered a questionnaire to determine Westwood Hills‘s program name and a student chose Building Brighter Bulldogs. Students also created a T-shirt design for all participants and staff.
Twelve staff members operated six Makerspace stations that provided 37 students with opportunities to learn about 3D printing, pottery, vinyl cutting, aerial photography and videography using drone, stop-motion video and sewing.
“These are all real adult materials that they have in their hands,” Hall said as she shared photos of the program with Waynesboro School Board Tuesday evening. “And they were taught the safety and the importance of how to act around these kinds of things.”
According to Hall, students used the scientific method and experienced trial and error with some of the stations just as they would learn as adults.
Hall ran the 3D printing station, which she said she had no experience with 3D printing.
“So this was a really good chance for them to see that we [adults] are also learning right along with them,” Hall said.
When the students at her station had questions, Hall said she admitted she did not know the answers, but that she would learn with them what they could do.
“It was a good opportunity for them to see we never stop learning,” Hall said.
Hall said that 66 students applied for the program, but space allowed only 37 to participate, so if the school obtains Extended School Year (ESY) grant funding in spring 2025 the students not chosen in this round will be asked to come back. After an application process, teacher recommendations are required before students are selected.
“Just super happy kids getting their hands in there,” Hall said of the program.
Field trips to learn about design and engineering included Funky Skate Park, playgrounds in Harrisonburg where students learned about accessibility for all children, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and monuments in Washington, D.C.
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Rebecca Barnabi
