transformed that “junk” into raw
materials for living.
Her resurrected home is typical
of the “hacking” that HackerLab
members love to do. A “hack,” in
this sense, is a creative solution to
a common problem — for example,
finding the ingredients you need to
build something. Earlier, I
mentioned the fifth graders who
visited HackerLab; in addition to
laser cutting, they got to challenge
each other using remote-controlled
combat robots. The bots were
designed by students and built
with scavenged re-purposed parts.
Nile Mittow, the event coordinator,
explained this kind of hacking to
his awed visitors once the
gladiatorial contests were finished.
“I have a pink Barbie car, a little toy car, that can go 15
miles per hour,” he said. “I found the car in a dumpster,
took it apart, and made it into a racing machine. That’s
In addition to giving school tours, HackerLab offers
intensive educational workshops for young makers. For
several weeks during the summer, full classes of interested
students come and learn the basics of starting a new
business. Others build and program a VEX IQ robot from a
starter kit, taking on the formidable
“VEX Robotics Challenge” with help
from Dave Parker, professor of
Computer Science at Sierra College
in Rocklin, CA. There is a fully
functional HackerLab location in
Rocklin which has joined forces with
Sierra College to support design
projects and commercial startups
headed up by Sierra students and
other members of the local
community.
Tyler Hill, a Mechanical
Engineering major from Lincoln, CA,
was hired as an engineer at NCR
Corporation in part because of his
participation in HackerLab’s “Startup
Hustle.” A more advanced intensive
version of the Lab’s summer business
HackerLab offers each year during
the fall. It is free to Sierra College
students, who can purchase a
HackerLab membership for just
$12.50 per month.
