We set up a three-month workshop where students from a predominantly low-SES, Latino school came into a fablab and worked on two large-scale projects. Using a mixed-methods approach, we found that students became more comfortable with technology, developed autonomy and confidence, learned to accept failure, and valued working with their peers. We also discovered that the influence of the fablab reached into the community as well. The artifacts produced by students in the fablab spread beyond the fablab like pollen, helping to combat negative perceptions of science and math in the community.
QC 20250804