Give Your Kids a Taste of STEM with This Weekend’s Fab Lab Activities

NOVA’s Fab Lab, sponsored by NOVA STEM, is a FABulous opportunity to bring your kids to an open-lab-type environment where they can learn and have fun, too!

Located on the Manassas Campus, the lab provides hands-on support to NOVA’s Engineering Technology degree and hands-on STEM opportunities for college students, staff, and community members. The Fab Lab Makerspace provides workshops, demonstrations, project collaborations with NOVA classes, tours, field trips, and special events to help enhance STEM learning and develop STEM skills. The lab provides a creative space to learn about a myriad of topics such as electronics and coding, how to operate fabrication equipment, use of design software, e-textiles/e-fashion, wood working, robotics, additive manufacturing (3D printing), and more.

Check out these weekend activities your kids will love:

Friday – Oct 15

Friday Night Robotics (Elem/Middle School). VEX IQ teams are invited to the lab to work on their robots and scrimmage on a competition field. More info at fablab.novastem.us/FridayNightRobotics

REACH Challenge Design Team. This team of NOVA Students meets on Fridays and is looking for an individual who could benefit from a custom-designed Adaptive or Assistive Technological solution to a daily challenge they may have.  They will use their STEM skills to design and fabricate a viable solution to help.  If you want to participate or know someone interested, please contact the Team Mentor – Nate Sebastian at nsebastian@nvcc.edu  

Saturday – Oct 16

NOVA Makers (Faculty/Staff/College/High School Students). This program allows members to use the equipment in the Fab Lab to work on personal projects. A Safety & Orientation session and Machine Certification for 3D Printers starts this Saturday.  More info at fablab.novastem.us/Sign-up

Middle School Maker Club. Starting Saturday, this six-session series will provide an opportunity for students to build a miniature greenhouse with self-watering system.  The use of sensors, coding, carpentry, plastic thermoforming, and electronics will be incorporated into project.  More info at fablab.novastem.us/Sign-up

Submitted by:
Lance Lacey, FabLab Manager, LLacey@nvcc.edu