Kickstarter Pick: SparkLab Aims to Bring the Maker Community to Underprivileged Schools

There are only a few more days left to help fund SparkLab's very deserving Kickstarter campaign, one geared towards bringing hands-on making to the children of underfunded schools. After investigating classrooms as part of their thesis at Stanford, Jason Chua, Eugene Korunskiy and Arron Peck discovered that--in addition to the commonplace pitfalls of contemporary public education ("slashed budgets, a rigid curriculum and an environment more geared towards standardized testing than student engagement")--many schools didn't have the space or resources to allow their children a place to physically make things; a proven and essential part of any truly comprehensive education.  

Driven by these findings, Chua, Korunskiy and Peck founded SparkLab to not only bring that crucial building space into schools, but also the necessary equipment and materials. Obviously these supplies cost money, but in addition, SparkLab needs wheels to even bring their mission to school systems. Funds from the Kickstarter campaign will go towards the purchase and renovation of an old delivery truck, as well as gas on which to run, 3D printers, laser cutters and hand tools. Incentives include a day in the park where you'll use a laser cutter to build your own kite.

Where was SparkLab when we were in grade school?!

Feeling inspired? Get ye to their Kickstarter page and help them make this happen.

-- Perrin Drumm