In January and February 2010, the Fuse Factory is partnering with the University Area Enrichment Association to offer a 6-session workshop series on the software application Storytelling Alice. The series is for youth aged 10-14 who are interested in learning computer programming and creating interactive game environments.
Storytelling Alice is a programming environment designed to motivate a broad spectrum of middle school students to learn to program computers through creating short 3D animated movies.
To learn more about Storytelling Alice, you can visit:
Our goal is to raise $1000, which will sponsor ten at-risk youth between the ages of 10 and 14 who live and attend school in the Weinland Park Area. $100 will enable one child to participate in the workshop series. Make donations at:http://www.firstgiving.com/thefusefactory
Thank you very much for your support!
All good,
Alison Colman, Founder and Executive Director, and all of us at the Fuse Factory!
All the Fun with Arduino Contest entries are in and now it is time to decide on a winner. Below are the links to all the projects that were submitted. You can help us pick a winner by either contacting me through email, or by sending out a Tweet with @ArduinoFun and your 1st, 2nd and 3rd place picks.
Contest entry by Annie (note: was submitted within the deadline, I wasn’t able to add to the blog until today)
In September of 2009 I found myself in a learning mood. Throughout my life I have been fascinated by everything: science, math, history…you name it, I love to know about it. In September I decided I was going to brush up on my electronics knowledge and see where it would take me. I had studied electronics at a tech school during the 90s and I’d grown up in Silicon Valley so I wasn’t completely new to the endeavor. But upon graduation from the tech program I immediately began working on computer network support and Key System/PBX telephone system programming rather than the nitty gritty world of capacitors, resistors and ICs and found my understanding of it all both fading and lacking. Read more »
Contest Entry by Joe Cochran
In another project, I created a way to control a 8×8 RGB Matrix using an Atari Joystick. While waiting for one of the components to arrive, I had an idea that a maze could be constructed on the RGB Matrix and a user could go through the maze with a joystick.
Most maze algorithms assume that the maze can have “paper-thin” walls. That is, that the occupiable spaces don’t occupy the same amount of space as the walls. However, with the RGB Matrix the walls have to be represented by a whole LED being turned on. So in essence each LED is marked as a “wall” or as an “occupiable space”
Joe has created a page that contains the detailed instructions on how to create your own JoyLite Maze. I am posting the link to it, rather than recreating it all again.
Joe Says:Arduino has been a fantastic opportunity to for me rediscover the creative process. I became a software developer because I get a lot of satisfaction from turning an idea into reality. When you get down to it though, professional software development ends up being little more than manipulating some bits in databases and RAM. Nothing tangible. Arduino has allowed me to move beyond the “cyberspace” and into the “real world”, opening the door to physical computing with motors, switches, lights and dials. And while I may be short on knowledge in regards to the electrical and mechanical engineering aspects of these projects, the Arduino community is so healthy, friendly and capable that they help make learning this stuff a real treat too.
In January and February 2010, the Fuse Factory is partnering with the University Area Enrichment Association to offer a 6-session workshop series on the software application Storytelling Alice. The series is for youth aged 10-14 who are interested in learning computer programming and creating interactive game environments.
All the 
DandyID
Facebook
Instructables
YouTube
LetsMakeRobots
Flickr
Twitter
Delicious
Stumbleupon