Fund This! Chemistry Set, STEM for Girls, and a 3D Printer for Metal!

Happy Thanksgiving! As we enter the season of giving, here are some amazing campaigns I am thankful for:

Heirloom Chemistry Set

This project is already funded but worthy of my top spot this week. Check out the incredible care and artistry that John Farrell Kuhns from the H.M.S. Beagle Science Store in Kansas City, MO, has put into designing a set that will last generations. From the case to the instruments, it includes everything you need to conduct chemistry experiments. Unlike modern day sets, which are the opposite of interesting, fun, and educational, the chemicals are real and useful. The set itself has modern tools while still maintaining the romanticism of a 19th century science lab. The full set with case is an investment, but worth every penny in my opinion.

DIY Girls

Full disclosure, Luz Rivas is a friend and a partner to my own organization, but her campaign is vitally important. She is an engineer who went back to her neighborhood in Los Angeles and started an after school program that introduces electronics, coding, and making to girls in a safe, encouraging environment. Now, she is on a mission to expand and reach more girls at more schools. From experience, I know how hard is can be to raise funds for education (especially when it is local to a particular region) but I also know the impact these kinds of opportunities  can have for girls, particularly in lower income communities where there is very little opportunity to experience STEM in such an authentic, hands-on way.

Mini Metal Maker

I have a complicated relationship with 3D printers. As others have so articulately written, my husband and I have put in more time tinkering and adjusting them then actually printing. Yet I can’t help myself. A 3D printer that fabricates with precious metal clay? OK! The jewelry I could make! I could make gears for a machine that does…something. I’ll figure it out. I’m excited by the possibilities.