Project Luminous

<p>Forty-eight middle school girls spent a day learning about the basics of e-textiles and building working products using their new knowledge. The day is split into three lessons. In lesson one students build a simple circuit keychain with one LED light. In lesson two, students build a t-shirt using the LilyTiny, and several LED lights. In lesson three, participants upcycle a thrifted or forgotten-about garment by adding custom circuitry.. The sample was made up of 50% African American girls, 15% Caucasian girls, 8% Hispanic girls, and 6% Mixed-race girls. Although there were some increases in interest in the areas of science and engineering, there were no statistically significant differences between the participants’ levels of interest prior to the e-textiles workshop intervention, and after participation in the e-textiles workshop intervention. As the smart-clothing and wearable tech market continues to develop, and new STEM/STEAM career opportunities emerge within the fashion industry, early exposure to e-textiles workshop interventions could potentially impact STEM/STEAM career interest in young girls.<br></p>