80th Training Command Family Readiness Programs co hosts Military Maker Festival

Major General A.C. Roper, commander of the 80th Training Command, chuckled as he deftly operated a remote-controlled robot at the 80th TC's first ever Military Maker Festival at the Lotts Conference Center, Richmond, VA on February 7th, 2015.

"Isn't that something," he remarked to the young child next him, flicking the joystick on the controller as his remote-controlled robot dropped a tin can into a box with acute precision.

The 80th TC Family Programs hosted the event in conjunction with the Virginia Army National Guard Youth Programs, and Virginia Tech's Virginia Cooperative Extension 4-H youth development program.

The Festival provided a fun learning experience for local military families, as well as a chance for parents to strengthen their relationship with their children through the joy of shared scientific discovery. Participants engaged in activities ranging from making a blimp out of balloons and straws to playing computer games using fruits and vegetables as controllers. Families even had the opportunity to see an actual 3D printer in action and build their own robotic creations.

Although this is the first time the 80th TC has held a Maker Festival, the program has a long history of fostering creativity and intellectual curiosity in children.

"Maker has shown to be an incredibly powerful tool in giving kids hands on skills, making them successful, increasing their decision making and problem solving [abilities]," said Rita Schalk, an extension agent with the 4-H youth development program.

She said that 4-H stands for "head, heart, hands, and health," and judging by how much fun everyone had at the Maker Festival, all four were certainly actively engaged, from easy projects involving commonplace items such as plastic cups and markers to taking apart computers and repurposing electronics.

"It can go all the way to robotics, which is high end, or it can be as simple as duct tape creations," Schalk added. "Creativity and invention is what it's about."

Nydia Negron, the Family Programs Director for the 80th TC, expressed her excitement about Saturday's Military Maker Festival, emphasizing the event's importance in positive relationship building.

"We actually have opened it up to the entire military community, so it doesn't matter the branch. We want to come together as a total Army, as one family, and have that experience," she said. "We are looking to probably have this event again next year, but…this is the first time and so far, it's a great success!"