Past projects 23
Personal Strength Jewelry
Funded May 18, 2023Thank you so much for contributing to the activism and positivity that flows through The Tech Cafe. Jewelry crafting is an integral part of the tools students use to express their understanding of social issues and support mental health.
For example, this semester we've been discussing the importance of recognizing and exercising your personal strengths. Once students identified their personal strengths they created bracelets that spelled out these strengths so they could have a constant reminder to exercise them. Other students used the jewelry to make mirrors containing positive self-talk mantras so that each time they look in the mirror they strengthen their self-esteem and resilience.
Your help has enabled such projects and the results have been wonderful.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Lahana
Building Social Action Skateboards!
Funded Jan 10, 2023We have had over 100 new asylum seekers and refugees enroll in our school over the past three months. When they arrive, they often lack sufficient clothing or food and only a hotel room as shelter. They have traveled, often by foot, through seven countries before entering The Island School. Despite this, they come to us with smiles and abundant energy. While it may seem insignificant, the 10 students who were able to create skateboards through this grant were thoroughly touched and beyond excited to have this treasured item. They built them by hand, painted them, and skated off, giddy with pride and pleasure.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Lahana
This classroom project was brought to life by A New York City Parent and 2 other donors.Expanding Robotics and Painting
Funded Nov 19, 2022Robotics isn't easy to teach-- especially within a Makerspace where students are using a HUGE variety of low and high-tech tools for social activism. It usually requires a lot of teacher scaffolding to help code and construct. It is also a challenge to connect robotics to the social issues that students care about.
Well, I'm happy to report that your funding of Microbits has achieved both things! Students have taken the initiative to use the online tutorials offered by Microbits.org and learned to build and code a variety of games and functional inventions. Together, we have brainstormed and implemented social action projects like a motion-triggered Welcome sign for new refugee/asylum-seekers at our school, a wooden vape that triggers facts when it touches a robot's face, and a heritage poetry generator.
Thanks for making robotics (finally!) come to life in The Tech Cafe.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Lahana
This classroom project was brought to life by The Walt Disney Company and one other donor.Rebuilding Our Recording Studio
Funded Aug 31, 2022HUGE thanks to supporters of the Island School's Makerspace. We have so many young musicians and podcasters here that our recording studio takes a beating. With your help, we were able to do some essential repairs to get the paneling fixed on the roof. The repair makes a huge difference in how the studio looks, feels, and most importantly sounds! Now that the studio has re-opened, students have created projects like a song about Vaping https://on.soundcloud.com/kceu1 and podcasts promoting LGBTQIA+ rights https://on.soundcloud.com/vLioX.
Thank you again for your continued support for what we do. It takes a lot of hard work and resources to accomplish these projects. You are a big part of our success.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Lahana
Next-level Woodcrafts
Funded Sep 4, 2022Once again you have delivered as supporters of The Island School's Makerspace. For this project, you helped fund an essential woodworking tool called a Miter Saw. This tool allows for exact woodcuts. To be honest, we're still getting the hang of it :) That said, many students have used it to create treasure boxes to hold stamped metal jewelry with their personal strengths. We also wielded it to cut wood blocks that students used with nails and string to model the brain (for a unit on the effects of THC on the brain). Finally, it was used to create the pieces to construct birdhouses to beautify the Lower East Side.
Put together, this has been a great start to next-level carpentry that we will continue to develop due to your generous contribution!”
With gratitude,
Dr. Lahana
Rock Tumbler!
Funded Aug 15, 2022This was one of the most unique project ideas to come to the Tech Cafe in a while. Students took rough unfinished rocks, and put them in the tumbler for 4 stages that took over a week! Once they were done, the rocks glittered and gleamed. We are still working on wire wrapping them into rings-- but let me assure you that the look on their faces when they opened up the tumbler to reveal the finished rocks was pure magic. Thank you so much for supporting our young jewelry crafters in discovering a new creative tool to further their practices.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Lahana
This classroom project was brought to life by An Anonymous Funder and one other donor.Laser Cutting Wood
Funded Jun 6, 2022Wood for laser cutting isn't exactly glamorous-- but it's the kind of material that keeps our Makerspace running at full creative force. Using this material we've created a variety of jewelry, art stencils, etchings, and frames. Working with wood allows for our designs to be more robust and professional. For example, Justin created an LGBTQ shield with the word "Ally" engraved into it. Jade, also an advocate of LGBTQ pride, cut a series of elaborate frames in order to create an art piece amplifying love.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Lahana
A Cut-Off Wheel!
Funded Mar 20, 2022Thank you so much for the cut-off wheel. It has been a huge help when it comes to cutting through thick metal for our jewelry crafting and art pieces. Until now, students could not use professional-grade material when making their rings or sculptures. With this new tool, they can make exact cuts and solder their creations together. When 8th graders Michael and Alex first used the cut-off saw (with proper safety gear on course!) their jaws dropped. "Why haven't we been using this the whole time?" they exclaimed. Thanks to you-- now they can!”
With gratitude,
Dr. Lahana
Captivating Ceramics!
Funded Dec 29, 2021The introduction of ceramics to our Makerspace this year has been a boon to the creativity of our middle schoolers. There are so many ways to shape clay and so many tools with which to experiment. Students have created faces and bowls, whistles and hearts, fists and dying earths to express social activism. What we hadn't been able to do (before your donation!) was bake many of these pieces in a kiln. Our mini kiln couldn't manage. Now our pieces can be fired and glazed to look colorful and, sometimes, MAGICAL! When some of these pieces come out, students are shocked at how shiny and professional they look. So thank you for making this happen!”
With gratitude,
Dr. Lahana
Island School Rock Band!
Funded Nov 7, 2021It's been a couple of months since our guitars arrived and it's remarkable how much they continue to impact my students. Monique, for example, struggled to find a passion in my Makerspace. She dabbled in painting and pottery, but when she got her hands on an electric guitar YOU provided, she was transformed. I created a mini website full of lessons and songs for students to play. Monique logged on and away she went into the world of rock music. She's been playing each day to a captive/captivated audience and growing more confident in her skills. Each Friday she takes the guitar and amp home and comes back on Monday to show off the new chords and songs she's learned to play. Monique's experience is mirrored in so many other students who often quietly ask if they can try it out and end up playing full songs by the end of the period with smiles on their faces.
Thank you for this gift. It will continue to help students discover a passion they did not know was hidden inside of them. Playing the guitar also fosters grit. This too will reap rewards in both music and beyond. Your help has made a positive change in students' world.”
With gratitude,
Dr. Lahana