Ed Hernandez

Hernandez’s innovative program idea, “STEM Guitars Project”, is designed to let students learn and apply a variety of STEM subjects in a hands-on, engaging manner. Harnessing their love for music, the program will afford them the opportunity to build a working guitar from scratch. They will use academic principles from physics, math, engineering and design, electronics, material science, manufacturing, and music. The program will show the students how science and math are involved in the design and manufacturing of an instrument. Through the hands-on experience of building a guitar, each student will learn the direct application of mathematics, physics, mechanical engineering, materials science, sustainability, manufacturing, quality control, electronics, music theory and more. Hernandez, who lives in Irvine, hopes truancy levels will decrease and grades will increase as a result of students’ interest and engagement in his project.