THERE are plenty of talented scientists across the globe, but if they can’t convey their ideas they will “never get to influence the world,” according MiniSparx founder Heath Raftery.
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Mr Raftery’s school holiday business, for kids aged 8-12, is focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) based activities and is just as much about the social as it is the technical.
“We are focusing on getting away from the computer to work with our hands to build and create a prototype,” he said.
“As part of this we will have the opportunity to talk about what we create.”
To be able to explain ideation and creation is an important part of the process.
“The world has enough programmers, what we don’t have is people who can convey their ideas and use their soft skills to solve problems,” Mr Raftery said.
Soft skills include communication, relationships and empathy.
“It’s what we call emotional intelligence,” Mr Raftery said.
“You can be the most brilliant engineer in the world, but if you cant convey what you have created you will operate in a vacuum.”
The April MiniSparx workshop will cover basic skill building. The children will create a simple circuit and progress to more open-ended challenges.
MiniSparx will be run on April 18-19, between 10am and 4pm. The cost is $159. To book visit: minisparx.rocks
