Case Study from October 2024- By KLGLUG Team
Be A Maker
It is an exciting new initiative which was unfolding and It encourages children in government schools to identify the challenges they face in their daily lives and come up with creative solutions through brainstorming. Over the span of four days, the event fosters innovative thinking, helping the students approach problems with their Ideative solution-oriented mindset. By engaging in these activities, students not only learn to think outside the box but also develop the confidence to overcome their problems using their own ideas and creativity
Student Engagement and Problem Identification:
Firstly, we visited B.N.R Ratnalacheruvu (20-09-2024) and Z.P.H.S Vaddeswaram (21-09-2024) schools to engage with 8th and 9th-grade students. During our visit, we gave them a form containing the following three questions:
1. What problems do you want to solve?
2. Why do you want to solve them?
3. How do you plan to implement your idea? After explaining about these questions, the students thoughtfully responded by reflecting on the challenges they face in their daily lives and brainstorming solutions to address these issues
Creative and Humorous Student Responses:
We started studying their 100s of responses and then came across very funny, innovative and creative responses from them few of which
- One of the Student have expressed their problem that: “My mom is beating too much.” So he have given a solution in a funny way that he want to climb the wall while she is beating him.
One of the student wrote, ‘I want Shiva’s bicycle so I can go to school on a flying cycle, so I can get to school faster.
Crafting Innovation with Block Coding & Arduino:
But this was just the beginning, On the second day, we have interacted with the students by introducing them to Block Coding and Arduino components. The day began with an engaging presentation on Block based coding, where students learned to design logic by dragging blocks, sparking their creativity. Next, we have dived them into the world of Arduino, demonstrating how sensors and microcontrollers work together to create innovative projects.
Idea Selection and Team Formation:
As we reviewed their ideas, it became clear that these young innovators were not just thinking about their personal challenges but the broader issues affecting their communities. We formed ten teams with forty students in total and began developing solutions.
Innovative Solutions:
- One impactful idea came from a student concerned about women’s safety, inspired by a recent incident in Kolkata involving a female doctor. The student proposed a security alarm system where, if a girl feels threatened and presses a button, the device triggers a red alert to nearby people and automatically calls the police helpline for immediate assistance.
- Inspired by the recent floods in Vijayawada, our students are eager to develop a flood detection system to address community challenges. They aim to integrate various sensors to monitor rainfall, track water levels and assess soil saturation.
- “Near Vaddeswaram Bridge, the lack of traffic lights causes heavy congestion. The proposed solution is to install traffic lights to manage the flow.”
- Recently in Vijayawada, a house collapsed after a rock fell from a hill during heavy rainfall. This inspired the idea: In hilly areas, sudden rockfalls pose a serious threat to people’s lives. A system that detects falling rocks and triggers a buzzer to alert them could help save lives.”
- The idea is to help handicapped individuals who cannot move or see well by creating a dustbin that comes to them when called and opens its lid, making it easier for them to dispose of waste
Prototyping and Implementation at KL University:
On the third day, the students built their prototypes and made hardware connections to implement their solutions in KL University.
Project Presentations at KL University:
On the fourth day, the students presented their projects with their teams. They explained the problems they faced and about the solution they made to the guests, faculty & students in KL University
How this activity reflected students life problems:
The “Be a Maker” event did more than just teach students how to solve problems—it gave them the confidence to see themselves as creators of their own futures. They learned to navigate challenges, think critically, and turn their ideas into reality. In guiding them, we too learned and grew, becoming part of a mutual journey of discovery. By the end, it was clear that these students were not just participants in an event; they were the next generation of makers, ready to transform their communities and the world around them.
How our team responded:
In a collaborative learning environment, we worked alongside eager students, tackling diverse problem statements through hands-on tools and innovation. By offering guidance, sharing expertise, and fostering creativity, we helped them grow into confident makers and problem-solvers. In turn, we too learned and evolved, making it a mutual journey of growth and discovery. And as we left, there was a sense that this was only the beginning—new possibilities had been unlocked, and a spark had been ignited in these young minds that would continue to burn brightly in the future.
How the vistors felt:
The visitors were amazed by the young students’ creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. The children prepared their prototypes well, clearly explained the problems they faced and how they solved them. Some faculty members provided suggestions for further development of their projects, while others shared ways to enhance their designs. The feedback was very positive, with comments like ‘nice,’ ‘good,’ ‘awesome,’ and ‘well presented.
Volunteers
2200032642 –Akkala Surya Venkata Deepak
2200031802 – Varagani Nikitha Krishna
2200032190 – Kanneti Sruthi
2200080231 – Kasireddy Sathvik reddy
2200032220 – Somisetty venakta anish
2200030448 – Yarrapothu Ravi Kumar
2300040199 – S. Preethi Sree NagaSai
2300032540 – Pasupuleti Chandana Raja Sri
2300040179 – Jonnalagadda Gayathri Wagdevi
2300033223 – Gudepu Kavya Sri Durga
2300031576 – Ponduri S.V.V.S Naga Vinuthna
2300032662 – Bandaru Dhalip Santosh Vijay
2300030112 – Challa Lakshmi poojitha
2300033864 – Vempatapu Tejaswini
2300040217 – Tippu Sulthan Shaik
2300080147 – Keerthi Srivalli Gadiraju
2300080049 – Velisetty Harshini
2300080123 – Ganna Prasunambha
2300032570 – Katta Manju Sri
2300090284 – Kota Geetha Sri
2300030813 – Seelam Dedeepya
2300032967 – Nali Nandini
2300033705 – Sai Vishal S
2300031842 – Paatamestti Vishnu
2200032174 – Nallabothu Srija
Blog Contributors:
Varagani Nikitha Krishna
S. Preethi Sree NagaSai
Pasupuleti Chandana Raja Sri