THE TEEN SCIENCE CAFE 

I'm so excited to be the Adult Leader for the only Teen Science Cafe in Maine during 2924/25 in collaboration with APEX Youth Connections here in Biddeford. 

Due to the busy Fall season, we decided to spend this time visiting STEM related workplaces immediate area. First up was STEAMfruit https://www.steamfruit.com/index.html#/ located in the Biddeford Mills. It is a one man operation by owner Michael Vickery who welcomed us and gave us a wonderful tour of his operation Michael makes a wide range of prototypes for both Industrial Designers and individual entrepreneurs.  The Teens were fascinated to hear about his work and see the fleet of printers in action!  

Next up for the TEEN SCIENCE CAFE TEAM is a trip to the University of New England Neuroscience Lab.! Stay Tuned!

 

 

Maine Craft Weekend, 2024

 Well, despite a small turnout we made a handful of kids (and some Adults) happy!

 

 

TEEN SCIENCE CAFE @ APEX - Coming Soon!

I'm excited to be facilitating the only Teen Science Cafe in Maine this school year! My collaboration will be with APEX Youth Connection in Biddeford. APEX is descended from the former Community Bicycle Center where I hatched Bike Part Art originally decades ago. 

As a studio metalsmith, I have a strong cross-disciplinary relationship with STEM in terms of Chemistry, Engineering, Material Science, Physics, and Math! These days the field of Jewelry and Metalsmithing also incorporates new technology like laser welding, CAD Desisign and 3D printing. For this Cafe series, though, the students will pick the topics! We live in an area rich with possibilities that they can choose from to design three presentations for their peers between January and June of 2025. 

Stay tuned to see where their curiosity takes them in exploring the STEM landscape of Biddeford/Saco!

APEX Youth Connection https://www.apexyouthconnection.org/ 

Teen Science Cafe Network https://teensciencecafe.org/

Summer reading 2024

 Recommended reading this summer!

Woven Bicycle Wheel Residency at the Lyseth Elementary School- Portland Maine

I'm thankful to the Teachers and students at the Lyseth School in Portland for an amazing week May 13-17. We spent five mornings weaving on donated bicycle wheels from APEX YouthConnections in Biddeford https://www.apexyouthconnection.org/  with donated rope from Sterling Rope in Biddeford.  https://sterlingrope.com/. 

We learned the History & Future of Nylon and other synthetic fibers while making these wheels. Nylon which was initially developed to compete with silk is a "Fossil Fiber". It is petroleum based fiber and, although it can be recylced, it does not biodegrade. Scientists are now looking at another tiny invertebrate, the Golden Spider and analyzing their webs to produce a biodegradable option. 

Six of the bicyle wheels will be mounted on poles and installled outside as Kinetic sculptures that will spin in the wind. Lyseth School participates in Pinwheels for Peace and will have sculptural Pinwheels this year as well!

The International Day of Peace happens Annually on September 21st.

                                                      Before Finishing!

                                                       After Finishing!

Pollinators Awake

POLLINATORS  AWAKE!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr4owIo6Rv0

Trolley Part Prints

 Attendees to the North East Association of Trolley Organizations annual "Winterfest",held atthe Seashore Trolley Museum on March 16th ,were able to make prints from old Trolley parts. We used heat sensitive foam that was heated with aheat gun and pressed on the parts. Then the foam was pressed ontoan ink pad.

These were my favorite, created by a little girl. I gave her no directions or any prompt to make a trolley picture!  I actually expected  most folks to make abstact patterns. This tiny girl, who had been riding trolley's with her family all day, made trolleys! and  all the choices were hers!