Nerdy Derby in Madison
In preparation for Nerdy Derby 2016 at Maker Faire Milwaukee a group of volunteers consisting of the Maker Faire Planning Group, employees of Betty Brinn Children’s Museum, employees of American Science & Surplus, members of Milwaukee Makerspace (and a few new friends) took a road trip to the MadisonMini Maker Faire and ran a Nerdy Derby event that consisted of building over 500 cars in 8 hours!
We managed to run out of nails around mid-day, which facilitated a hardware store run, and a quick trip to The Bodgery for a drill, but we just kept going!
The kids had a blast… and so did the adults! Not just the ones checking out the Faire, but everyone who volunteered to run the Derby seemed to be smiling and having a good time helping kids learn how to get hands-on and build cars they could race, and then take home.
It was great to send over 500 kids home with cars that they made. For some kids it may have been the first time they got to swing a hammer or use a hot glue gun. Basic maker skills so many of us take for granted.
Here’s the crazy crew who kept things running smooth all day. Thanks to all of the folks who volunteered their time and expertise!
Want to see more? Check out some of the photos over on Flickr!
