Our workshop on the 4th went swimmingly, a huge thank you to all our volunteers who helped create the 3 cars below!
- We altered the first car so that it can be controlled by the button on the extended kickboard seat, as that child can only control her head.
- The second car was for a child who can support himself, so the main changes there were to add pool noodles to the roll cage so if he does sort of fall to the sides, he won't be hurt. We also added a step so he can get in and out of the vehicle by himself, helping him develop his movement capability further.
- The final car was altered to suit a child who cannot support herself at all, so we created an extended kick board seat with a head cage.
These cars will be rolled out at our Drive Day Event on the 25th.
A major setback we experienced in making these cars was rewiring car one so the acceleration is controlled by the button, we had to call in two geniuses to figure out how to wire it so the acceleration could be controlled there, and the steering by remote.
This whole project has been one big learning experience for us, and this last workshop was no different. The big lesson here was in managing a team. All our volunteers were intelligent enough to get the task done, but we had to learn to delegate the tasks appropriately so no one was idle (and thus goofing off) and no one felt like they didn't understand something, or were being forced to do too much work that they didn't know how to get done.
After we deliver the cars and thank all those who've helped us this year, this is it for Alyssa and I. We both intend to help out our new Project Zoom Zoom leaders, whether that's advising, helping get funding from our new positions as UT students, or attending their workshops! But the main progression of this wonderful project is out of our hands and has been transferred to theirs. We know they can handle it, and look forward to seeing how far this little idea can go.
Thank you all for everything you've done for us,
Alyssa and McKenna