It has been an absolute pleasure working at Gizmo this summer! This opportunity has strengthened my current STEM skills in a myriad of ways. This summer, I worked alongside engineers, educators, and students pursuing degrees in STEM fields. Learning alongside this team has strengthened my knowledge-base with various science-focused concepts in a fun and exciting way. My role as an extern Gizmologist consisted of inventory tracking, working with online platforms (Airtable, Lending Library, TMC, and SuperSass), creating teacher bins for educational purposes, and supporting Gizmo summer camps. I’ve enjoyed this experience greatly and cannot wait to take my learning back to my own classroom this fall!

As a previous Science/STEAM teacher and current ALP (advanced learning program) teacher I work at utilizing real world application for learning within my classroom. As I supported summer camps, I learned simple and engaging ways to teach circuits, learning geometry and measurement through garden bed design, the importance of soundscapes and project creation, and weather patterns for balloon launching. I was able to learn and work on online platforms that were new to me (like Tinkercad or TMC) for instructional purposes next year.

This externship has challenged my previous technological capabilities in a variety of ways. Troubleshooting projects, technology innovation, and learning new techniques (for example; circuit building) for science related concepts has challenged me in the best way. Coming into this program I had limited technology practice outside of my graduate level courses. Being a part of the Gizmo community provided me with multiple opportunities to learn, understand, and work on these skills. Tinkercad, 3D design, soldering, woodshop working, and welding were some of the skills I developed while at Gizmo. I can’t thank Micron enough for providing me with this opportunity and Gizmo for selecting me as their summer 2023 extern. It has been a wonderful experience working alongside such talented individuals. I can honestly say you never know what to expect when you come into Gizmo, but you’re guaranteed to have a blast! If given the opportunity, I would highly recommend working at Gizmo for your externship!