Original text from an earlier festival edition. Dates, performers, prices, addresses and application instructions below are historical; they do not describe the returning 2027 edition. Old forms and transaction controls are disabled. Read current information ↗
The 15 Machine
First Night 2011 will feature the “Celebration of the Art of Invention & Technology,” a theme dedicated to introducing young people and families to STEM-related concepts. First Night will conclude with a large-scale STEM project on Main Street in front of Lock 3, a Rube Goldberg machine* called The 15 Machine, that ignites the FirstMerit Fireworks Show at midnight with a collaborative “bang.” The 15 Machine has been generously sponsored by Time Warner Cable.
Teachers
If you are interested in having your middle school student participate in The 15 Machine Challenge, please contact the First Night office at 33-374-7690 as soon as possible. Spots are filling up!
Click here to download a PDF of The 15 Machine Challenge Curriculum.
Click here to download The 15 Machine Time Warner Cable Filming Requirements.
*What is a Rube Goldberg Machine?
A Rube Goldberg machine is a deliberately over-engineered machine that performs a very simple task in a complex fashion, usually including a chain reaction.
Here are some examples:
Participants
The following letter was sent to middle schools throughout Summit County explaining the project and asking for participation from schools. Please check back over the next few weeks for a list of participating schools.
Dear Summit County Middle Schools:
It’s hard to believe summer is almost over and the school year is beginning again. Here at Downtown Akron Partnership (DAP) we are eagerly planning for First Night Akron 2011, the 15th year of this family-friendly, alcohol-free New Year’s Eve celebration of the arts on December 31, 2010 in Downtown Akron! As we reflect upon the first 15 years of the event and look toward the future, we have begun collaborating with organizations in our community to plan exciting and memorable ways to celebrate this landmark year for First Night. In addition to a 15 Year Celebration, First Night 2011 will also feature the “Celebration of the Art of Invention & Technology,” a theme dedicated to introducing young people and families to STEM-related concepts.
In addition to artists that will feature STEM-related projects and performances at the event and the National Inventors Hall of Fame® School...Center for STEM Learning serving as a First Night venue this year, First Night 2011 will conclude with a large-scale STEM project that sets off the traditional midnight fireworks display. To create this project, DAP, in collaboration with the Time Warner Cable (TWC) Connect a Million Minds program, would like to partner with students at 15 middle schools in Summit County to put STEM concepts in to practice by creating a Rube Goldberg machine* that ignites the midnight fireworks with a collaborative “bang.”
DAP would love to have your middle school take part in this project! Through collaboration with science and art programs, each school will be responsible for creating one of the sections of the Rube Goldberg machine that will all connect through chain reactions to set off the fireworks. A local educator and a project coordinator will establish parameters for the Rube Goldberg machine for the participating schools and the students working on the project, as well as organize the critical chain reactions that will connect the 15 sections. The work done on the components of this machine will not only give participants practice in using teamwork and creative problem solving skills to create, but will also align with Ohio education standards and 21st Century Learning skills.
Additionally, students will have the opportunity to storyboard a 30 second Public Service Announcement (PSA) about their contribution to the project and why it is cool to study STEM concepts. TWC will film a portion of each school’s piece of the machine being created and edit the footage to reflect the storyboard that the students created. The completed PSAs will be available on-demand on TWC and the community will have the opportunity to “vote with their remotes” for a favorite school. The winning school, which will be introduced at First Night Akron 2011, will receive a year’s supply of science supplies (not to exceed $2,000) and an 8 minute segment on the local program, “Ask Time Warner Cable,” featuring the students and their school. This is a great opportunity to showcase your school and its successes.
We hope you will commit to participating in this once-in-a-lifetime project. We are happy to speak with you about the project. Please contact us at 330-374-7690 if your school is interested in participating or you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Lisa Knapp, Communications Director, Downtown Akron Partnership
Brooks Rutledge, Project Coordinator, Rube Goldberg Machine
* A Rube Goldberg machine is a deliberately over-engineered machine that performs a very simple task in a complex fashion, usually including a chain reaction. The board game Mousetrap is an example of a Rube Goldberg machine.