I-Corps L: Tinkering Labs - Invent it Here

危机往往创造机会。美国持续的教育危机催生了一个快速发展的校外学生“充实”项目产业。各个经济阶层的父母都想在孩子身上投资。虽然传统的辅导课程受到家长的高度重视，但学生们很少认为它们有趣和吸引人。这个I-Corps团队建议评估在全国范围内开设零售连锁“修补实验室”的可行性，在这些地方，女孩和男孩们将面临发明令人兴奋的科学和科学的挑战。制造商?项目（如飞机，机器人，弹射器，自动宠物喂食器，音乐合成器等），同时学习使用21世纪的制造工具，如3D打印机，激光切割机，并结合电子和伺服执行器。在修补实验室，年轻人将通过实践、发明和接受挑战来学习。他们将在乐趣的同时，在好奇心的驱使下学习STEM概念。它通过培养设计思维、真正解决问题、创造力、协作和沟通等21世纪技能，强化了STEM学习的新范式。在经验丰富的导师的指导下，修补经验促进了STEM学习，并产生了追求STEM职业的兴趣。该项目将测试修补实验室概念的商业潜力，作为8至18岁儿童和青少年放学后和周末的目的地。Tinkering Labs有潜力增加对STEM职业充满热情的学生人数，提高他们对STEM概念的理解，并为传统STEM教育过程的转变做出贡献。在接下来的十年里，修补实验室有可能接触到成千上万的孩子，并为他们提供一种更有吸引力的方式，让他们在培养批判性思维技能的同时探索STEM。

Crisis often creates opportunity. The ongoing US educational crisis has spawned a rapidly growing industry for out-of-school student "enrichment" programs. Parents across all economic strata want to invest in their children. While traditional tutoring programs are highly valued by parents, they are rarely considered fun and engaging by the students. This I-Corps team proposes to evaluate the feasibility of launching a national chain of retail 'Tinkering Lab" locations where girls and boys are challenged to invent exciting science and ?Maker? projects (e.g. planes, robots, catapults, automatic pet feeders, musical synthesizers, etc.) while learning to use 21st century fabrication tools such as 3D printers, and laser cutters, and incorporating electronics and servo actuators. At Tinkering Labs, young people will learn by doing, inventing, and being challenged. They will learn STEM concepts compelled by curiosity while having fun. It reinforces a new paradigm of STEM learning by fostering 21st century skills such as design thinking, authentic problem solving, creativity, collaboration, and communication. The Tinkering experience, guided by skilled mentors, fosters STEM learning, and generates interest in pursuing STEM careers. The project will test the commercial potential of the Tinkering Labs concept, as an after-school and weekend destination for children and teens, ages 8 to 18. Tinkering Labs has the potential to increase the number of students enthusiastic about STEM careers, improve their understanding of STEM concepts and contribute to the transformation of the traditional STEM education process. Over the next decade Tinkering Labs has the potential to reach hundreds of thousands of children and to provide a much more engaging way for them to explore STEM while they develop critical thinking skills.