My name is Benjamin Lloyd and I am a Library and Instructional Technology Teacher at Highland Middle School.  I work with all 6th, 7th, and 8th grade classrooms and it is my privilege to teach and support students and teachers in using technology to advance their educational goals.

We have had success at our school in implementing a library makerspace where groups of kids apply many of the things they are learning in their curricular areas but also explore new and creative ways of thinking critically. One thing we have done in our makerspace is to have high-interest projects that are engaging to our students. It is not uncommon to find kids so engaged that they end up working on these projects before and after school or during their lunch breaks.

We are seeking funding at this time for one such maker project. We wish to construct a claw machine style game for use in the library makerspace. Funding of this project would go towards purchasing all the necessary supplies including the building materials such as wood, plexiglass, and paint. Additionally, funding would purchase all electronic components including stepper motors, motor controllers, microcontroller, lighting, claw mechanism, switches, and coin mechanism. Students with interest in the project would then be able to work over the course of a few months to learn and build the structure, wire and program the electronics, and create an operational claw machine.

The second phase of this project would be ongoing as it would allow us to install the crane machine permanently in the library. The plan at that point would be to have arcade style tokens that could then be awarded to kids for chances to play the game as a motivational tool. The library makerspace is already being used in part by kids who are struggling and on behavioral plans or needing to earn positive rewards, the addition of this game would help further this goal.

$350 will go towards building materials such as: lumbar, acrylic sheet, bearings, aluminum, paint, and glue, 3d filament, and rubber belt.

$350 will go towards the stepper motors, stepper controllers, claw mechanism, and other electronics.

$100 will go towards filling the machine with prizes and school branded merchandise.

$75 will go towards lighting and graphics for the machine.

$75 will go towards arcade tokens to be used to operate the machine.

$50 will go towards clamps, drill bits, screws, and sand paper.

Your help in supporting this project would be greatly appreciated by myself and the kids alike. Thank you so much for your consideration.