STEM Lab to yield wide array of projects for school’s annual exhibit

“It’s incredible what you can accomplish in a couple months.” These words from Megan Kibalo, a junior at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Edison, encapsulate the fervor that pervades the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) Learning Lab, also known as the Makerspace, as students and faculty prepare for the third annual Maker Faire.

Often referred to as “the greatest show-and-tell on Earth,” Maker Faires have taken off around the world because they allow students the opportunity to show off the products of their know-how and imagination.
 

With a month of preparation time still remaining, this year’s Maker Faire already promises to outshine its astonishing predecessors by showcasing a wide range of student creativity and ingenuity. Students are working passionately on projects that range from stained glass to cast metals to catapulting robots to life-sized board games to facial recognition programs, just to name a few.
 

This year’s Maker Faire will have some noteworthy differences from that first two as a result of COVID-related restrictions, which have presented both opportunities and challenges. The biggest difference is that the Maker Faire will take place entirely outdoors. Junior Vera McCoy said she is excited about the world of opportunities that an outdoor Maker Faire makes possible for projects like obstacle courses and giant board games — “mega projects,” as Dan Mulvihill, director of the STEM program at St. Thomas Aquinas (STA), calls them. 
 

But there is also the specter of bad weather. And inside the Lab, distancing rules have made it challenging for participants to collaborate as effectively as in the past. But everyone involved is powering through the obstacles, determined to still make this the biggest and best Maker Faire to date.

The finished projects that dazzle attendees are the culmination of an ongoing, collaborative process involving both fellow students and teachers, with sparks of inspiration being struck as recently as a couple months before the big day, but in some cases as far back as a couple years prior. Mulvihill, along with Maker Faire co-coordinator Casey Walker, have created an intricate network of support and inspiration for students of wide-ranging interests. Along with their own expert abilities and oversight, they’ve also trained a group of STEM Techs, who form the backbone of this initiative. Those STEM Techs assist the students who frequent the Makerspace after school, pairing up based on interest and know-how in order to offer guidance, inspiration, and technical help.
 

“In a lot of ways, the Makerspace has become self-sustaining,” Mulvihill noted. As the date of the Maker Faire approaches, the STEM Techs and faculty coordinators hold “Brainstorming Bashes,” in which students who want to participate can gain inspiration and hone their ideas. Through collaborations like these, the STEM program at STA has continuously advanced and expanded along with the passion and creativity of everyone involved.

For some students, like junior Ethan Hung, the STEM Learning Lab and Maker Faire offer the opportunity to further lifelong passions. Ethan began teaching himself programming languages like C++ and Python at age 10 and is now the co-president of the school’s Robotics Club and a STEM Tech, giving him the opportunity to teach and impassion others.

For other students, like Kibalo, the love for making and breaking began when they first set foot in the Makerspace.
 

“My interest sparked when I first came here,” she said. “From then on, I was hooked and now I never leave!”

Although Kibalo will not be exhibiting at this year’s Maker Faire, she will serve as the Student Event Coordinator, in charge of reviewing proposals, working with students one-on-one, and making sure that everything runs smoothly.
 

As the April 21 debut of this year’s Maker Faire approaches and the wide array of projects take shape, the excitement continues to build for the participants and the student body, which will have an opportunity to attend the event.
 

Junior STEM Tech Jacob Pil summarized the feeling of enthusiasm by noting: “The Maker Faire encourages people to express their interests and creativity. Even with the restrictions, there’s still great opportunity for us to have a great event.”
 

Attendance at Maker Faire will be limited to St. Thomas Aquinas students, but others may watch it virtually.

A recap of the exhibits at Maker Faire will be available on the website www.stahs.net soon after the event. Information about the STEM Learning Lab is also available on the website.