Project Make It is a STEAM school program designed to teach kids coding, engineering, art, and teamwork. Project Make It aims to promote equitable access to fun STEAM learning by providing STL youth of diverse backgrounds a shared project-based learning experience. Students take part in a mentored, instructional, team-based building challenge that culminates with a community celebration to display the completed projects. Through applied building projects, students will learn concepts from fields including mechanics, engineering, physics, and coding. To keep costs down and make projects more widely accessible to programs and their students, designs are done in inexpensive, disposable materials like cardboard and PVC. This year’s building challenge will be mini-golf courses made out of cardboard and other recycled materials featuring a hazard controlled by a microcontroller. This challenge will allow students to demonstrate their mastery of basic design and rough construction as well as their understanding of motors, controls, coding, and electronics. Weather Balloon Project This Fall we are launching the Weather Balloon Project for grades 9-11. Designed to connect high school students to our growing geospatial community, students will design, build, launch, and gather data with high-altitude weather balloons. Apply to pilot the program by emailing programming@projectmakeit.org.