NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — At one point or another, you've probably come across those neighborhood boxes that look like a very large birdhouse.
Sometimes they're free neighborhood pantries for non-perishable foods, or they can be Little Free Libraries.
The Forge spent Monday at Aventura Community School in Nashville working to build one of those libraries.
"To see how they light up whenever they do something new, whenever there's a concept that they grasp but there's a light that goes on for them," said Mitchell Green, a volunteer with The Forge Future Maker's Program.
The program is a non-profit, and one component of the mission it to give today's youth an opportunity to explore their creative potential through hands-on learning.
Through these activities, they work to incorporate concepts of science, technology, engineering, art, and math into the hands-on projects.
"Today, some of them used the drill for the first time," said Carlos Calderon, the STEM Coordinator at Aventura Community School. "And you saw the line. 'I want to drill, I want to drill.' That's part of the engagement."
The students all line up to use the drill in the player above.
Calderon is familiar with this group of first graders. He says he worked with them last year as well.
"You see they were able to to immediately recognize what are the parts of the tools that they're using to build the house, the right angle, why the house has to be in a perfect shape," he said.
"It's really rewarding and it's a big part of why we do what we do," Green said.
You'll love her and you'll love to hate her! Meet Trashley: the bad girl of Nashville littering. She stars in a new campaign that's a throwback to an anti-litter movement from years past. Her role has been reimagined by NDOT as a fast-paced, Dukes of Hazzard-style wrecking ball of a lady. You'll find yourself cracking up as you meet the actress behind Trashley and hear how she landed the role of Queen of Trash.
-Rebecca Schleicher
