2021 Gearbox Labs News

After taking January off to plan and work on a number of initiatives behind the scenes, Gearbox Labs is excited to announce a number of new initiatives in our first newsletter of the year.

THANK YOU Hovercam for the donation of a Hovercam Duo Document Camera! Hovercam's generous support has vastly improved our workshops. 

Gearbox Labs awarded two student scholarships this year and a classroom residency. Thank you to all our funders for supporting our scholarship program. If you would like to support our efforts please visit this page on how you can further our mission.

• Congratulations to David Williamson of Our Redeemer Lutheran School in Wauwatosa, WI for the award of a Gearbox Labs Classroom Residency
• Two student scholarships were awarded two starter bundles from Gearbox Labs and two Girls Who Code workshops at Milwaukee School of Engineering on coding in Python 
• Our educator scholarship opens shortly. For information on the scholarships go to this page

Gearbox Labs is partnering with Maker Faire Sheboygan, as part of the producer's team. We are assisting the Faire on a number of fronts including planning the onsite event at Mead Public Library on June 19, 2021 and adding virtual participation options. Read more below in the Maker Faire Sheboygan announcement section.

We are working with Make, the parent organization of Make: Magazine and the Maker Faires to bring more learning opportunities to educators, students, and learners of all ages. After launching our workshops with Maker Campus, Gearbox Labs is partnering with Make on Make's Learning Labs initiative.

Additionally, with COVID-19 restrictions slowly being eased globally, Gearbox Labs is working with its domestic and international partners to support schools as they move forward. See more detail below in our Partners section of this newsletter.

Gearbox Labs will be participating in a number of other events including:

• The Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers' Spring Conference
• NSTA's Spring 2021 Conference
• World Arduino Day
• Mead Public Libary's WinterGreen
• Watch our events page, or check out the listings below

Gearbox Labs has presented webinars recently to several groups of educators in the Philippines and across Latin America. See our partner section below for more information. 

STEAM Edition Updates

Over the past couple of months, there have been a number of updates on projects for the STEAM Edition.

Log in and check out the updates on the curriculum page.

If you need access register for an account on the curriculum website and order your free account upgrade from the online store.

Among the updates are the following:

• New code for the pH sensor. The new code and associated library is self-calibrating, faster, and more accurate. Many thanks to DFRobot for the update
• There are several new extension projects 
• Gearbox Labs is shipping a new 8x8 LED Matrix for project 23, Emoji Me, which needs to have a different pin configuration in the code. Check out the code changes in the Updates section after your registration
• There is a Turbidity Sensor update that we will be posting soon

Gearbox Labs is also discounting the STEAM Edition Premium Resources until later in Spring by 75%.

If your organization would like to discuss purchasing books, kits, parts, or workshops, contact our staff and we will be happy to work with you on a quote.

YouTube Playlists

Gearbox Labs has posted more than 60 videos on its YouTube channel to date. We now have several playlists including a playlist introducing our first six projects using Tinkercad in the STEAM Edition.

We also have videos showing some of the new extensions available as well as sneak peeks at projects from our next curricula, Internet of Things Edition and Science and Engineering Fair Edition.
 

Maker Faire Sheboygan: Call for Makers

Gearbox Labs has joined the Maker Faire Sheboygan team to help produce the event this summer. We are very excited to be part of the producer team. The Maker Faire will be held at Mead Public Library on June 19, 2021

The Faire has a new and expanded way to share your inner Maker.  We are adding virtual options for those who want to participate but at a distance. Maker Faire Sheboygan. We will use the Make Projects website to host virtual projects as well as other digital tools to broaden the reach of the Maker Faire.

We already have some exciting makers joining us including Grabot, Sheboygan's own BattleBot.

Right now we are looking for Makers to join us in Sheboygan on June 19th. We have indoor, outdoor, and virtual Makers joining us so whether you are in Sheboygan or halfway around the world, you can participate. Fill out the online Call for Makers form and submit your idea for the Faire.

We are very excited to have several area makers already scheduled to join us.

New this year, is the "Innovation Alley" where Sheboygan County area companies are invited to share their newest innovations.

For those of you who want to participate virtually, we will be able to host your live presentation or workshop and host your project on Sheboygan's Make Project webpage.

Join us at Maker Faire Sheboygan this year.

Store Updates

Gearbox Labs has expanded its parts offerings on its online store.

The Training Kit gets an upgrade. We have updated the parts in the Training Kit to add several more projects including three more sensors for a total of 11 projects from the STEAM Edition.

We now have:

• Bulk package parts of LEDs
• Mini breadboards
• Flex sensors
• Waterproof temperature sensors.
• Extra parts for your STEAM Edition Kit

For our international customers

• We now offer the lowest shipping rates available through DHL

We are also distributors for Adafruit, Arduino, and DFRobot and can retail sell any parts or pieces they carry. Just contact us with what you need and we will work with you to get it. 

Check out our parts store for a complete listing of everything in stock.

Make: Learning Labs

Gearbox Labs is now providing mentoring and workshop support to Make Learning Labs.

We are pleased to be working with Make on this new initiative and supporting their first cadre of makers and innovators. This international group of makers will work on their innovations, creativity, and project management skills with experts from around the globe. This program is a paid experience for the cadre as they explore different technologies including microcontrollers, biotechnology, robotics, and machine learning. 

The program works with learners 17-24 years old to advance their skills and opportunities in Making, Gearbox Labs will be presenting a two-week, twenty-hour workshop on Arduino projects to learners in the program. Our own Isabel Mendiola from Gearbox Labs will also be mentoring a student in the program from Nepal.

To learn more about the program check out its website. 

As the program expands, there will be more opportunities for wider participation.

Workshops and Events

Domestic and International Partners

EGB4 represents Gearbox Labs in the following countries:

• United States
• South America (all countries)
• Central America (all countries)
• Mexico
• Dominican Republic
• Ghana
• Gambia
• Kenya
• Pakistan
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates
• Zimbabwe

Gearbox Labs recently presented a webinar titled,"Preparando a las Próximas Generaciones para la 4ta Revolución Industrial." You can watch the webinar here. 

Felta Multi-media represents Gearbox Labs in the Philippines and has started training teachers on our curriculum

Watch Felta's latest workshop featuring our work here

Located in Pretoria, South Africa, Tinago and Roy are building a business to teach robotics and coding skills to students. Robocoder will be using content from The ARDUINO^® Classroom: STEAM Edition in their workshops and online courses.

Gearbox Labs has been awarded a contract to sell its curriculum, kits, and workshops to Texas schools. For more information click here.

We are also in the purchasing systems of several school districts in Texas. Check with your local district and if we are not in yours, use the contact form to reach out to us here.

STEAM News

Articles we have been reading:

An interview with the CEO of one of our suppliers, DFRobot
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dfrobot-ceo-thoughts-about-covid-19-impact-on-steam-development-in-china-301231670.html

The rise of STEAM education
https://www.eschoolnews.com/steam/

STEAM is an important aspect of succeeding in the 4th Industrial Revolution
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2020/01/15/we-need-steam-not-stem-education-to-prepare-our-kids-for-the-4th-industrial-revolution/?sh=541711f055fb

Ed Tech Trends for the 2020-21 school year
https://elearningindustry.com/top-educational-technology-trends-2020-2021