Douglas Stuivenga

Stuivenga's winning program idea, "Toy Inventor's Workshop", is a collaborative effort between students at McNary High School and local preschoolers. Over the course of the 45-day project, students in grades 9-12, will talk with the younger children about features of their favorite toys. Working in small groups, a total of 76 students will use modeling clay and computer software to design and build a unique, three-dimensional toy based on those characteristics. The entire project, from initial interviews with preschoolers through product evaluation, will be videotaped by the school's video production class as documentation of how students will work together to solve problems, improve their interpersonal communication skills, conduct research and effectively apply newly learned computer software and design skills. When the final toy design is completed, students will take the model back to the preschool where it will be introduced to the children whose responses to the model will be documented and analyzed. The findings will be presented to an audience of parents, local industry representatives, teachers and other members of the community by the participating students. Stuivenga resides in Amity.