The goal of ¡Zumbido! is to empower people to improve their everyday lives through learning the basics of electronics and applying this to functional projects. The audience for this project is youth in developing areas that lack reliable infrastructure and access to education. My hope is to engage young people in projects that improve their lives and communities, developing both civic engagement and the intellectual curiosity to continue their education. Each project teaches skills that can be applied in solving everyday problems and encourages users to learn through applying their skills.
The end result is an affordable kit of components and an accompanying website that guides individuals through a series of increasingly challenging projects as they gain a deeper understanding of how circuitry works. Projects include building a solar lamp and creating a wind generator for charging cell phones. Zumbido also connects learners with a network of “youth experts” who can help them troubleshoot when they encounter difficulties. Once they have successfully completed the three core projects, learners can join this network of experts and offer their advice.
The site is designed to reformat for mobile devices, and can also be downloaded as a PDF or JPG. All of the required components for the three core projects are included in the kit. The goal is for these three core projects to build the skills needed for individuals to continue improving their lives through the use of electronics. Future plans may include adding more tutorials and creating a more robust community for sharing projects and offering advice.