LEO- Light Embodied Odyssey

The Fine Art of Building STEM

Students learn to walk the edge of curiosity and innovation by designing and building an interactive light sculpture that communicates science. Making art removes the stress of getting the "right" answer and unleashes an attitude of exploration that is so often lacking in STEM education. Students learn trades, science, math and technnology by building the sculpture that also communicates science.

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Overview

Information on this page is provided by the innovator and has not been evaluated by HundrED.

Updated May 2025

Web presence

2020

Established

12 2023

10 2024

20 2025

1

Countries

Students lower

Target group

LEO hopes to turn S.T.E.A.M into STEAM where all disciplines merge together in a seamless project where students are exposed to a variety of disciplines and discover HOW it is that they are smart. Academic STEM is too often separated from the trades and art too often beautification of a STEM project. In true Renaissance style, LEO hopes Art becomes the hub from which all other disciplines rely.

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

The need to get the "Right" answer prevented science students to embrace the excitement of exploring, yet the same students were very innovative in the fine arts class. How might students explore trades, coding, soldering, 3D printing, laser cutting, architecture, and physics by creating a an interactive light sculpture from reclaimed acrylic and communicate science to the public? LEO was born.

What does your innovation look like in practice?

Students begin with an ideation and Design Thinking process to plan what this year's sculpture might communicate. An architectural and engineering study determines the forces and electrical needs for safety. Trades like soldering, welding, CNC, laser cutting, coding, 3D design and 3D printing lets students bring their imagination to life. The largest raw materials are cast off pieces of acrylic that were diverted from the landfill that now lives in a beautiful sculpture. The art communicates different layers of science including String Theory, atoms in an electrostatic field, protein receptors of dopamine and viruses to the brain making memories and exploding stars. In this way, the Art is the hub around which all the other branches of STEM are learned. It is impossible to differentiate the borders between any of the letters in the acronym- True, deep Arts Integration into STEAM.

How has it been spreading?

What started as a one off event in a physics class during hybrid learning as we returned from the Pandemic, has now grown to include students from grade 9 to 12, 4 other spin off Art of Science projects combining for 6 international invitations for A in STEAM, appearances at 2 National Science Fairs and 2 NSTA presentations.

If I want to try it, what should I do?

We started by finding local artists, trades mentors and local companies who are discarding possible materials. Our first 3 attempts were important small learning fails done by individuals until we found a workable combination of resources that allowed us to scale to a single class. Soon, students were taking their work home, recruiting younger siblings to help build. Then advertise progress.

Media

LEO (Light Embodied Odyssey) Interactive Light Sculpture

Implementation steps

LEO- Light Embodied Odyssey

Identify mentors like artists, trades people, school resources, and sources of materials destined for the landfill.
Explain to students that building the art is an exploratory previously untravelled path.
Determine the location and physical parameters of the art.
Begin an ideation process that involves sketching, individual ideation, small group ideation and whole group ideation drawing on themes from their STEM classes and or lived experiences.
Begin building, expecting many dead ends.

Identify the Purpose

Identify the reason for doing the project, often drawing on a story of success or need. Used the curriculum document, some specific outcomes, but often more general outcomes, that are align with your project. For instance, after having taught student X, we wanted to increase exposure to trades. After taught student Y who were too afraid to explore in the lab, we would like to increase being comfortable with ambiguity and the edge of discovery. Let's make a sculpture.

Find Mentors

Search the school system, local businesses, shops and artists who can help mentor from an art perspective but also an architectural and technical aspects. Is there a sign shop where you can get cast-off supplies like acrylic that are destined for the landfill? Is there a local college who does electrical engineering technicians who can mentor your student through a volunteer day or perhaps portions of this project becomes a design project for the college student.

Design Thinking Cycle- Empathize and Define

Go through the Design Thinking Cycle multiple times. As scientific artists, what topic in science do you want to communicate and to whom? What space would be most appropriate? What materials can you use that match the space? This is a cyclical iterative process.

Design Thinking- Prototype and Feedback

Begin by sketching your ideas as individuals. Compare those ideas with others, Find commonalities and create a larger group maquette or model with PlayD'OH or craft supplies. Combine until there are 3 choices. Have mentors make comments on the proposals. Do a Dot-mocracy process to identify the one or two forms. Keep the other ideas incase the originals do not work out.

Build and Test

Build the design, which might mean learning to 3D print, or Laser Cut or use materials destined for the landfill. This will take many cycles.

Promotion

Document the progress, both the struggles and the victories. Post with permission. Ask to include sponsors in your social media.

Celebrate and Reflect

Celebrate at the end of each day/session at the end of each month and at the end of the year. In a side room, let students do a "Big "Brother" confession about the project itself, the final sculpture, the process. What did you learn about others? What did you learn about you?