Thank You Thursday 11.14.13
Our first-ever S.T.E.A.M. Machines event Nov. 9 on the Santa Monica Pier was a smashing success. Presented by Heal the Bay and Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds initiative, the day included LA’s inaugural Rube Goldberg Contest and a host of innovative activities for all ages.
A huge thank you goes to sponsor Time Warner Cable and to the staff of the Santa Monica Pier Corporation for their collaboration. Contestants in the Rube Goldberg Machines competition brought their enthusiasm, passion and engineering acumen to the curious contraptions they created to complete the task of zipping a zipper. Kudos to the teams from Santiago Canyon College, Rancho Dominguez Preparatory School, Malibu High School, King Drew Magnet High School and Washington Preparatory High School.
Judges Dina Keirouz, Preston Williams, Hector Alvarez and Dan Busby get perfect scores for not only judging the contest, but for going above and beyond by providing invaluable feedback to all.
Pacific Park, Marbles the Brain Store, Trash for Teaching, Two-bit Circus, The Exploratory and the reDiscover Center brought games and materials that delivered hands-on fun for all. Ben Kay and his Santa Monica High School students of Team Marine provided a lesson in converting a car from gas to electric. Peddlers’ Creamery brought the sweet, cold treat everyone enjoyed on an unseasonably warm November Saturday atop the Pier. DJ Agent Blak created the perfect soundtrack for the day.
Beneath the Pier, visitors to our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium spent hours driving an underwater R.O.V. (remotely operated vehicle) thanks to Aquarium advisory board member Kurt Holland. Kurt financed, built and staffed the Aquarium’s ROV station vehicle during S.T.E.A.M. Machines. And finally, Dale Voelker of Digital Lava Graphic Designs created a Rube Goldberg-esque graphic of Heal the Bay’s successful efforts to ban plastic bags in the city of Los Angeles. The poster remains as a teaching tool in the Aquarium’s Green Room.
We can’t wait for next year’s S.T.E.A.M. machines event!
