7th Annual New Jersey Makers Day

All events will be live streamed to this page, and will be available on-demand for 30 days. Embed information will be provided for participating sites.

RSVP for updates and details leading up to the event!

 

Friday, March 19

Watch:

Inspiring Innovator: Joylette Hylick (10:00-10:40)

Will discuss her book (One Step Further), as well as her mother’s challenges and legacy (Katherine Johnson, NASA mathematician and subject of Hidden Figures). Joylette is a retired mathematician who worked for NASA and Lockheed Martin.

 

Workshop 1: Hacking Origami (Sandy Roberts, Warren County Library) (10:50-11:20)

Description: Hack dollar store items and common household supplies to create light up, moving origami projects that are cheap, fun, and exciting for all ages. Hacked origami are a great opportunity to learn circuits, understand electricity, solve problems, develop spatial visualization skills and develop math skills, all while giving patrons the opportunity to express their creative side. I will lead you through three projects — a simple light-up firefly (serial circuit), a light-up butterfly (parallel circuit) and a ladybug vibrobot.

Supply List:

  • 4″ or 6″ square origami paper or copy paper cut to size
  • 2 electric tealights
  • An inexpensive electric toothbrush with a thin barrel or 1 3V pancake motor
  • Aluminum foil and a glue stick OR 1/4″ copper tape with conductive adhesive OR 1/4″ Makers Tape
  • Scissors
  • Black permanent marker
  • Google eyes
  • Invisible tape (optional)
  • Small screwdriver
  • Needlenose pliers (optional)

 

Workshop 2: Building Bee Abodes to Conserve Native Pollinators with Kelly Rypkema, Mercer County Park Commission | 11:30am-12:00pm

Description: If you like pumpkins, cherries, or blueberries, then thank a native bee! Invite these helpful pollinators to your backyard by building a bee house in this workshop using materials easily found in the home.

Supply List:

  • Sheets of paper
  • Tape
  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Paper towel tube or paper milk carton

 

Inspiring Innovator: Kathy Ceceri | 12:10-12:40pm

Description: Author and STEAM educator Kathy Ceceri shares ways to help kids learn real engineering and design skills and concepts with simple at-home projects, including tips and tricks she’s used to present make-along online workshops based on her books and tutorials. 

Supply List:

  • Paper

 

Saturday, March 20

Watch:

Inspiring Innovator: Dr. Madiha Jafri (10:00-10:40)

Description: Dr. Madiha Jafri received a BSc in Computer Engineering, MSc in Electrical Engineering and a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Old Dominion University in 2003, 2004 and 2007, respectively. Fully funded by the NASA headquarters, her accelerated PhD studies became the first pioneering work that used artificial intelligence to predict electromagnetic interference patterns on commercial aircraft. While pursuing her doctorate, Dr. Jafri also completed post doctoral research in Biomedical Engineering at the Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center in Hartford, CT in 2007.
Outside of work, Dr. Jafri is a proud mom of two children (8 and 10 yrs old) and a STEM advocate, volunteering, mentoring and giving motivational talks on overcoming adversity and embracing diversity in STEM careers.

 

Workshop 1: Engineering with Paper: Make Your Own Arcade Style Game with Paula Frisch, Dazzling Discoveries | 10:50-11:20am

Description: Using just paper, tape and scissors, you will learn how to make your own table-top amusement park style games. This hands-on workshop will get you cutting, folding, connecting and building in a matter of minutes. You will start by learning the Engineering with Paper “alphabet” of techniques and then transform ordinary paper into interactive games. Unleash creative possibilities while also learning how to re-use and up-cycle supplies you already have.

Supply List:

  • Markers
  • Printer paper
  • Masking tape or Scott tape
  • Scissors

 

Workshop 2: Learn Game Design with Tyler Blust of Game-U | 11:30am-12:00pm

Description: Learn STEAM skills with Game-U. Let our curriculum and professional instructors show you how to design a fun, challenging game level with an animated player, moving platforms, power-ups, visual effects, a lives system, and oh yes, a dangerous enemy that attacks whenever you’re in it’s line of sight.

Supply list:

 

Inspiring Innovator: Mike Carroll | 12:10-12:40pm

Description: Michael Carroll is a third grade teacher at Overlook Elementary School. He has a passion for low-cost, high-tech projects so ALL students can learn about making and science. Creator of Scrappy Circuits.

Supply List:

  • An LED tealight
  • 11 small binder clips
  • 2 metal paper clips
  • cardboard
  • aluminum foil