Design and Development with Collector & The Brooklyn STEAM Center
By Brooklyn Book Bodega
Shout out to the Brooklyn STEAM Center for their latest Brooklyn Book Bodega project. STEAM students worked with Brandon LeNoir of Collector to design and produce a new book cart for the bodega. Read on for an interview with Brandon about the teaching and development process.
What was the goal?
Our goal was to build one useful item vs multiple less functional items. We had the students work on small projects each week to build skills and then spend some time working on the book cart.
What was the process like?
The process was a mix of instruction and hands-on. We tried to maximize the time students could physically work with different tools, so we had them complete a few side projects in addition to the main, book cart, project. One of those side projects was learning about finishing and making samples with different wood types, stains, paints, and top coats. The students came in with good shop knowledge, so we were able to build on that to teach them some advanced joinery techniques and introduce them to welding.
What did the students have to say?
To paraphrase, they enjoyed learning about the process and understanding how furniture is made. They mostly enjoyed seeing the pieces come together to make something useful. More than one of them mentioned that their goal in taking the class was to expose themselves to a wider variety of skills since they weren't sure what they might need in the future.
Did you know?
This is the fourth piece of furniture made by STEAM students for Brooklyn Book Bodega. We asked Cecilia Golembek, Brooklyn Book Bodega Program and Volunteer Coordinator, what she noticed most about this newest product from the STEAM Center and she shared how interesting it is to be able to see students apply their learning from one project to the next. We are grateful to the STEAM Center for sharing their creative energy with us!
Brandon’s favorite childhood books were the Berenstain Bears, Encyclopedia Brown, and The Hardy Boys.
Want to see more STEAM student projects? Check out this blog post and interview.