“How do you make a remote control?” asked one of our freshman BUILDers on yesterday’s field trip to Bolt Venture Capital.
This question and others were answered as freshman students from our two high schools in Dorchester toured the manufacturing and prototyping rooms at Bolt’s Downtown Crossing office.
“The field trip couldn’t have come at a better time!” said our 9th grade program assistant, Josh Hammell. “Our freshman students are just beginning to create their first prototypes of their products in preparation for Showcase Two.”
For many of our students, yesterday’s field trip to Bolt was the first time they had ever seen a 3D printer or laser cutter in action! Our young entrepreneurs also learned what goes into making the plastic casing that covers the electronics you can buy in a store.
Representatives from three teams attended the tour—Fruit Master (creative cookie cutters for fruit), Tea Time (customizable mugs), and Bobble Scents (bobble head car air freshener.) The teams pitched their ideas to Chris Quintero from Bolt who gave them advice on how to create their first prototype.
Chris was kind enough to give our students and mentors suggestions for the best prototyping apps and resources out there. He also suggested buying a competitor’s product and asking the question: “Can I replicate this, and how can I make it better?”
Only two short weeks until Showcase Two for our freshman BUILDers! Now, it’s time for our young entrepreneurs to #goBUILD.
– Evelyn Hartz, BUILD Staff Writer
