As we prepared ourselves for exams, an unexpected call from our director had us perplexed. “Will you go for an internship to Bangalore?” he asked. Off we were to Bangalore for a unique 15-day internship which turned out to be the most fun we’ve had learning!
With the help of a kit given to us by Shekhar Sir, who heads the Makerspace at MANTRA, we made some circuits and some DIY craft items using ice-cream sticks and wood cuttings! This is how we learned the importance of using scrap to create things. By the third day of the internship, we had even made a sample robot with wood and had observed the concepts of a dynamo and a hydraulic car.
From making a car that’s powered by a balloon to a mini water pump with and without mortar, water, and air turbines, and even generators made from syringes – the Makerspace at MANTRA gave us an opportunity to use basic concepts and our imagination to make learning so much fun!
By Rahul and Sudheer, students of Sri Rama Rural Academy, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh