STEM IN A BOX is a didactic kit that enables 13 to 17-year-old Black, Indigenous, and Latine students to build robots from electronic waste.

As part of its pilot testing phase, the team conducted two field trips to Colombia, collecting invaluable user feedback on the robots’ assembly guides. The user feedback highlighted the pressing need to redesign the assembly guides. The Office for Outreach and Engagement grant will fund a pilot testing workshop in Denver where participants will build an electric car, helping our team test and finalize the first module’s redesigned assembly guide.

After finalizing the assembly guides, the team will donate eight STEM kits to the workshop’s host organization. Additionally, this grant will match the donation of eight kits to Educate, an NGO based in Trinidad, Honduras. Donating 16 STEM kits will benefit 40 low-income Black, Indigenous, and Latine students aged 13 to 17.

• Assembling an Electric Car from Electronic Waste

  Additional Info

  During the two-and-a-half-hour-long workshop, participants will assemble an electric car from electronic waste, providing our team with valuable user feedback to finalize the first assembly booklet. The workshop participants will be 13 to 17-year-old Black, Indigenous, and Latine students in the Metro Denver Area. Participants will repurpose a computer mouse to function as the remote control for their created robot. Additionally, female CU Boulder STEM students will facilitate the workshop, enhancing representation and STEM identity among participants. This program is noteworthy as STEM identity is often considered a predictor of individuals pursuing STEM degrees. Finally, for CU Boulder students involved in the project, the workshop offers a valuable opportunity to learn and grow user experience (UX) research skills.

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  Location

  in colorado

  Denver

  Dates

  1/16/2024 - 7/31/2024

  Public or Private

  Private Program (by request only or for a specific audience or group)

  Program Fee

  No charge to attend/participate in activity or program