TIU Rover Mobile Makerspace Sneak Peak with the Carnegie Science Center

January 28 - 31, 2025

TIU is readying to debut its new mobile makerspace. The Rover will be hitting the road chock full of advanced manufacturing technology, including a 3D printer, laser engraver, vinyl printer and cutter, a CNC router, and more.

Join us for a fun, hands-on sneak peak of our new equipment and activities, developed and co-facilitated by the Pittsburgh's Carnegie Science Center, to engage students of all ages in digital design and making.

Each session will be unique, so feel free to register for more than one session!

Act 48 credit is available by session, each session is 2.5 hours.

Register

Registration closed on 2025-01-28

Available Credit or Activity Hours

Act 48 Activity Hours
2.5 Hours
Academic Content Studies Science
Free

Sessions

Tuesday, January 28
9 - 11:30am
TIU Rover Sneak Peak - Act 89 Staff Only

This session is reserved for TIU Act 89 staff only.

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Wednesday, January 29
9 - 11:30am
TIU Rover Sneak Peak - Session 2 - Foamcore Cars

For this session, we'll be piloting one of our activities for elementary students - foamcore cars.  The session will also include an overview additional workshops, design challenges, and camps available in our catalog.

Foamcore Cars (K-4th grade):  Get your creative wheels rolling! Participants will design and laser cut custom cars from foamcore, then test to see how far their car can overcome friction and carry an object.

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12:30 - 3pm
TIU Rover Sneak Peak - Session 3 - Foamcore Gliders

For this session, we'll be piloting one of our activities for grades 4-12 - foamcore gliders.  The session will also include an overview additional workshops, design challenges, and camps available in our catalog.

Foamcore Gliders (Gr. 4-12): Let your imagination… fly! In this project workshop, students model what real-life engineers are doing around the world. Participants learn about the physics of flight, take a brief detour into biology, then design and create their own custom gliders.

 

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Thursday, January 30
9:15 - 11:30am
TIU Rover Sneak Peak - Session 3 - Acrylic Cells

For this session, we'll be piloting one of our activities for grades 5-8 - acrylic cells.  The session will also include an overview additional workshops, design challenges, and camps available in our catalog.

Acrylic Cells (5th – 8th grade): Digital fabrication and biology come together in an unexpected way in this project workshop. Students work with software to design their own plant or animal cell models, which are then etched and cut from acrylic plastic on a fast and accurate laser cutter.

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12:30 - 3pm
TIU Rover Sneak Peak - Session 4 - Vinyl Printing/Cutting

For this session, we'll be piloting one of our activities for grades 3-8 - "Good Flag, Bad Flag, Your Flag."  The session will also include an overview additional workshops, design challenges, and camps available in our catalog.

Good Flag, Bad Flag, Your Flag: 3rd - 8th Grade

Can you say vexillologist 5 times fast? This project workshop serves as an introduction to the world of graphic design. Students will learn about the basic design elements that help to make a good flag, then design their own flag in the multipurpose software Inkscape using those principles. Students can then turn their unique flags into a sticker using a vinyl printer-cutter.

 

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Friday, January 31
9 - 11:30am
TIU Rover Sneak Peak - Session 5 - 3D printed Keychains

For this session, we'll be piloting one of our activities for grades 4-12 - 3D printed keychains.  The session will also include an overview additional workshops, design challenges, and camps available in our catalog.

Keychains: As an engaging intro into the world of digital fabrication, students learn how to use CAD software to manipulate a CNC machine to create customizable key tags, either laser cut from acrylic or wood, or 3D printed from PLA or PETG plastic. No prior making experience is required.

 

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