500 Books, One Future Engineer
Date Posted: August 19, 2015
Posted In: Discussion, Ideas, News,
by Tom Finan, Executive Director, Construction Forum STL
When Brianna, known to her friends as “Bri Bri” received her $100 prize from Construction Forum Education Foundation last Saturday, she looked like she’d hit the lottery.
Bri Bri, an elementary school student in the Normandy School District, was one of close to 2,000 students on hand at Normandy High School attending a “24:1, Beyond the Backpack” event presented by Beyond Housing. The agency said that it distributed 1,700 backpacks.
RIPPL3D Founder Bill Macy with Bri Bri, winner of the RIPPL3D design competition.
Construction Forum Education Foundation passed out 500 copies of the New York Times best-seller book “Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site.” On hand to pass out the books was Sandra Marks, CEO of Marks & Associates and Senior Vice President of Clayco. Marks & Associates and Mackey Mitchell Architects provided funding for the books, which were purchased through Scholastic, Inc.’s FACE community engagement program. Joe Blanner, of Construction Forum STL, and his four children also distributed books.
Joe Blanner, Forum president, and Sandra Marks, senior VP of Clayco and CEO of Marks & Associates, distribute books to children.
Drilling Service Company provided their canopy for the blistering heat on the Viking Plaza at Normandy High School, where 40 vendors and agencies distributed items and information to the children and their families. Drilling Service has also made a $1,000 a year funding commitment to the Foundation.
Bill Macy, founder of Rippl3D said that 17 children completed the company’s wind turbine challenge. The children viewed plastic wind turbine propeller prototypes then designed the prop that they felt would generate the most electricity. Their designs were printed on 3D printers and tested on a voltmeter.
RIPPL3D.com is a web enabled gaming site that leverages 3D tools (freeware solid modeler & 3D Printers) to provide a fun and engaging environment for students of all ages to solve design challenges and search for optimized designs. Macy, a former Boeing engineer, who helped develop CAD/FEA/reverse engineering/Virtual reality/additive manufacturing technology at that company before starting his consulting firm, founded Rippl3D with the goal of engaging children in the STEM of building by making it fun.
Click to view video of future engineer tweaking her design.
Cathy Cook, welding instructor for the Carpenters District Council of St. Louis and Vicinity demonstrated the CDC’s virtual welding machine and talked with children about careers in construction.
