Build It Better Challenge with STC Newark and West Side High School

Hosting Organization: Schools That Can Newark

Date: March 8, 2019

Learners Impacted: 35

The Challenge introduced freshmen to the school’s Advanced Manufacturing program. Teams designed products to help a person with limited mobility pick up items, by first drawing blueprints, buying supplies, and managing their budgets, before then manufacturing and marketing their product. Program juniors and seniors volunteered as consultants and judges, plus helped run the program. The students loved it! One said, “today was the best school day of my life!” We couldn’t agree more; high-quality, hands-on learning opportunities not only better prepare students with real-life skills, but make school fun! Thanks to the NJ STEM Mini-Grant, Doug Baldwin at the Piscataway Public Library, and his team that create the annual design challenge.