For some parents, at-home learning has proven to be more of a headache than a help. To alleviate some of the stress, D.C. aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe —and a diverse team of engineers led by Danielle Regis — developed a coding kit to engage curious kids.
According to WTOP News, Bowe’s brainchild, Lingo, is an at-home, hands-on experience that allows kids ages 13 and up to learn the fundamentals of hardware and software design.
“The idea of Lingo is to make technology accessible for all by introducing students to software, hardware and engineering concepts in a really easily approachable way,” said Bowe, who previously worked at NASA. “So, the focus is on the lesson and the excitement around building the backup sensor and less on some of the technology fundamentals, which will come later.”
Lingo consists of detailed instructions and step-by-step videos that will keep STEM-loving kids occupied for hours. For example, the first lesson teaches kids how to build a backup sensor in autonomous cars.
“This is a great solution for not only in-home learning that parents want to give their students time to complete an exercise and get a little bit of peace, [but] also for camps that are looking to tackle the question of how do they pivot during the pandemic,” Bowe said.
In addition to building a saving grace for overwhelmed parents, Bowe is the founder and CEO of STEMboard, a technology solutions company she created to provide more opportunities for young people of color in STEM.
While each Lingo kit costs $69.99, Bowe is partnering with non-profit organizations to offer some kits for free.
“Lingo represents something that I wish that I had growing up,” she said. “In many respects, I’m excited to be able to contribute this, especially in the moment where there are a lot of students who are at home and they’re in need of camp support, academic activities so that they can continue their learning and they don’t regress.”
