On Thursday, Oct. 5 at the Student Union Lawn, Makerspace Bounce was the signature kickoff event for the Month of Discovery.
Audrey Larson, one of the student managers at OPIM Innovate said the Month of Discovery is designed to get students interested in innovation and familiarized with the different programs on campus. She continued to share how there are a ton of innovation and entrepreneurship events for students to attend. Discovery Quest — a gamified program and part of the Month of Discovery — motivates students to discover and experiment with the fields of creativity, research, and innovation. There are four signature events and if students want to participate in Discovery Quest, they first must register and attend the events to start earning prizes. The more events students participate in during Discovery Quest, the more points they will earn for prizes such as water bottles, baseball hats, backpacks, and scholarships.
Makerspace Bounce was the kickoff event for the Month of Discovery and students went on a scavenger hunt to visit some or all of the four makerspaces: OPIM Innovate, The UConn Library Maker Studio, the Krenicki Arts and Engineering Institute, and the Innovation Zone. Each Makerspace offered something different for students to engage with.
The UConn Library Maker Studio has a little bit of everything such as crafting and laser cutting. OPIM Innovate is tech-oriented, deals with circuitry, and has VR headsets and 3D printing for students to try. The Innovation Zone at Werth Tower also has a bit of everything including woodworking, while the Krenicki Arts and Engineering Institute is about industrial design. One visit to any location and students gained entrance to the carnival that had snow cones, cotton candy, and multiple inflatables.
The Makerspace Bounce combined fun with learning, a great combination for students. Prizes and/or fun activities such as inflatables are a great incentive to get students motivated to learn.
The Month of Discovery alongside its gamified program is a wonderful way to get more students interested and involved in research and entrepreneurship, or more broadly, interested in STEM. Even entrepreneurship can be considered STEM, as it pertains to the “application of scientific and technical knowledge to create solutions.”
Female students especially should take advantage of this opportunity to discover what opportunities there are for them and maybe help them find something that they did not know they were interested in before, such as conducting research or creating a start-up company.
When we look at the bigger picture, women are still underrepresented in STEM fields, as they make up only one-third of the workforce. Even though the Month of Discovery is for all students, and all students should participate in as many of the engaging and informative events as they can, women should take a particular interest in the Month of Discovery so that maybe in the future, a more balanced and equal workforce will be created.
On Thursday, Oct. 12, Research Connections at the Werth Residence Tower gave students the opportunity to learn about research they can follow at UConn and learn about other research done that could spark new curiosities.
Juwon Kang, a student researcher majoring in Biology showcased her research on the “Sense of Belonging” for Korean Americans living in Connecticut. She gave insight into how Korean Americans did not feel like they belonged because they did not feel represented by companies or schools. She explained how she wanted to be the voice for minorities since she kept seeing microaggressions and Asian hate.
Kang, along with other researchers not only informed students about what they studied and what they found, but they also informed students how to start a research project of their own and what opportunities for support there are available. One of the supports is funding such as the UConn Co-op Legacy Fellowship Change Grant that offers students $2,000 for service initiatives, research, and social entrepreneurship.
The Month of Discovery will end on Oct. 31 and students can attend as many events as they would like, but remember, the more the better.