Who can participate?
The 293 SPIKE Make-a-thon is open to anyone and everyone. A primary goal of the event is to spread the benefits of STEM education to as much of the community as possible, while also providing an outlet for those already in the STEM community to meet up and engage in some friendly competition. Teams can also be of mixed ages and abilities. The more interaction, education, and engagement, the better.
I want to participate, but I can’t afford the registration cost. What can I do?
Going back to our goal of maximum impact, we don’t want anyone to miss out on the 293 SPIKE Make-a-thon because of the cost. The registration fee is there in order to help offset some of the costs related to this event, but we will waive it for those who demonstrate need. If you are concerned with the price, email us at 293.first@gmail.com.
I would like to participate, but I’m not sure I have the skill level or equipment to compete…
The entire purpose of the 293 SPIKE Make-a-thon is to expose as many people as possible to STEM. See this as a low-pressure, no-judgement setting to explore STEM and think creatively. In fact, you’ll often find that beginners come up with the best ideas! If you really don’t want to engineer, however, we have intentionally placed very few requirements for solutions. This is a problem-solving challenge, not an engineering competition. We welcome entrepreneurial solutions, as well.
If you are concerned with equipment, don’t be! We accept all manner of solutions, whether they be CAD models, drawings, or prototypes. Additionally, 293 SPIKE will be running engineering-design, CAD, and 3d printing workshops on Friday in order to familiarize you with some engineering and prototyping processes. We will also be running our state-of-the-art fabrication shop throughout the week. If you ever need a part fabricated, you will be able to send us the CAD file and we will make it. We also have tentatively arranged some 293 SPIKE members to help you actualize your concept. If you have a cool idea for a mechanism, we may be able to help you create a design and fabricate it. Once again, this is a problem-solving challenge, not a skill test. If you need help with something, please contact us at 293.first@gmail.com, and we will do our best to help you out.