This post is part of Bug Machines, a hands-on engineering studio where learners design, build, wire, code, and iterate on insect-inspired machines. The experience blends design thinking, systems engineering, creative problem-solving, and maker confidence—all through real tools and real constraints.
Bug Machines Studio — Day 10 of 10— 🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞🐞
← Day 9 · Today: Exhibition & Reflection · Studio Complete
🔗 Explore the Full Bug Machines Studio
👉 Start here: Bug Machines: Where Play Evolves Into Engineering
(Overview, learning pillars, tools, and progression)
When Learning Becomes Public
Exhibition Day was a whirlwind!
The exhiition hall was full, the energy was high, and one by one, students stepped forward to present the machines they had spent the week designing, testing, rebuilding, and refining. Families, friends, and community members leaned in as learners explained not just what they built—but why they built it that way.
This wasn’t a science fair.
It was an engineering studio made visible.
Artifacts of Thinking, Not Just Products
Each Bug Machine on display represented:
- a design challenge identified and reframed
- constraints confronted and negotiated
- systems integrated across mechanics, electronics, and code
- failures encountered—and learned from
Students didn’t hide rough edges.
They talked about them.
That confidence—standing beside unfinished perfection and explaining the journey—is the clearest marker of authentic learning.
Learning Across Generations
Ascension interns also showcased their own projects during the exhibition, walking visitors through their solution paths and the instructional design work they completed in preparation for supporting younger learners.
In doing so, they modeled what it looks like to move from learner → mentor → designer of learning experiences.
A Professional Learning Environment—On Purpose
We are deeply grateful to the Santa Fe College Physics Department for their generous support. Access to professional studio classrooms, machine shop resources, and appropriate equipment allowed us to create an environment where students could work the way engineers actually work.
The staffing, facilities, and tools weren’t extras—they were part of the curriculum.
Many engineers don’t encounter this level of integrated, hands-on systems work until graduate school or industry. Our students experienced it here, together, in one week.
We are so proud of everything our students accomplished and so happy they got to show it off to loved ones and friends.
The Studio Ends. The Identity Remains.
Bug Machines has come to a close—but the most important outcome isn’t the machines themselves.
It’s that students leave identifying as:
- builders
- problem-solvers
- designers
- engineers
If you missed the studio or want to explore the full progression, you can find the complete day-by-day Bug Machines series on our blog:
👉 https://ascensionlearninginc.org/blog/
To stay informed about future studios, exhibitions, and learning opportunities, email us at ascensionlearninginc@gmail.com to join our mailing list.
🔍 Go Deeper into the Learning Behind the Build
If you’re curious how studios like this are intentionally designed, explore: