BITS & BYTES
Vol. 2, Issue 2 | June 2023
COLORADO ROBOTICS CHALLENGE
On April 15, Luciano Varos (pictured with his NASA-inspired rover) represented PCC’s STEM EDGE Space Grant Team at the Colorado Robotics Challenge, held at Great Sand Dunes National Park in Alamosa. The location was chosen and inspired by NASA’s Viking Mars Lander missions of the 1970s.
The challenge is a statewide program to allow students a personal and handson experience working and designing their own rover using engineering and science skills. Joe Flores was also part of the team but was unable to attend. The event was presented by NASA’s Colorado Space Grant Consortium.
AWARD WINNERS
The PCC Space Grant team received certificates as outstanding students at the Arts and Sciences awards ceremony in May. From
Fountain International Magnet School SCIENCE DAY
The PCC STEM Center and TRIO collaborated at a remarkable event on May 18. Science Day at Fountain International Magnet School is an annual gathering that brings educators and professionals from Pueblo to teach our up-and-coming young scientists about a variety of subjects.
This year, the STEM Center and TRIO taught students about the four forces and principles of flight. About 250 students were able to interact and acquire new information taught by Gabe Lucero, Vashti Trujillo, Parker Banas (pictured above), and Jacob Padilla.
THE PCC STEM CENTER NEWSLETTER
left to right: Luciano Varos, Vashti Trujillo, Brenda GrijalvaRodas, Mason Evans, and Dio Samora.
3D printing and Tinkercad workshops
Throughout the 2023 spring semester, the PCC STEM Center played host to a number of schools in their inaugural year of 3D printing and Tinkercad workshops.
The 4-hour workshops, designed and hosted by Parker Banas, PCC’s STEM K-12 outreach coordinator, taught students the basics of 3D printing, design and reverse engineering concepts, Tinkercad, design concepts from thought to finished project, and much more. High schools attending the workshops were Centennial, Central and Pueblo West, along with Skyview, Craver, and Liberty Point International Middle Schools.
If your school is interested in attending a free workshop during the 2023 fall semester, email Parker.Banas@pueblocc.edu.
PCC students earn honors at Space Grant Symposium
On April 22, Jacob Padilla and Brenda Grijalva-Rodas (pictured) won the people’s choice video for their wearable device, the Claw. It was developed to help astronauts pick up dropped objects
Dio Samora captured the top spot in the poster presentation for his wearable device, the Navigator. It is designed to help those with impaired vision navigate while walking by avoiding objects detected by the device.
Race winners from Centennial High School Liberty Point International students racing their 3D-printed air-powered vehicles Skyview Middle School students racing their carsEarth Day at Fozzie’s Farm
Students from local high schools had an opportunity to help install solar panels at Fozzie’s Farm on April 20 and 21, in collaboration with Montezuma Land Conservancy, Ute Mountain Learning Center, and PCC Southwest’s STEM Outreach.
Fozzie’s Farm is a nonprofit farm that teaches students about agriculture. The farm has hosted thousands of students, interns and teachers over the years. During a two-day period, students gained experience with PV installation, learned about careers and solar training programs, and got hands-on technical experience working with licensed electricians.
Students were engaged in activities ranging from bolting solar panels down to testing the breakers. The high school students provided the much-needed physical energy to get the job done.
Thanks to the efforts of the volunteers, the farm will have little to no electricity bills. Fozzie’s Farm will now be able to shift the solar money savings to other student-oriented projects. Students were happy to be able to give back to their community and reduce the farm’s carbon footprint.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this Earth Day event!
STEM Outreach at PCC Southwest
Interested in STEM? So are we! Join us...
STEM EDGE will give you everything you need to be successful!
• Advising
• Career development and work-based learning
• Internship
• Transfer
• Tutors
• Undergrad research
• Workshops