From Discovery to Recovery
Third graders learned the art of repair by dismantling, fixing, and reimagining.
This is Lower School Maker Facilitator & Technology Integration Specialist Jimmy Santosa’s second year holding a repair clinic with third-grade students. As part of Burke’s Strategic Plan on education for sustainability, Mr. Santosa teaches Lower School students the value of repairing broken or damaged items as an alternative to purchasing new ones. The repair unit is inspired by The Culture of Repair Project, a local initiative that facilitates and promotes repair clinics at schools around the Bay Area.
This year, Mr. Santosa welcomed the project's founder, Vita Wells, to discuss the environmental and social-emotional aspects of repair, as well as the practical aspects. “You reduce trash and waste and feel good after fixing something,” Emerson ‘31 said. “And it saves you money! Ms. Wells saved over $500 by mending her broken things.”
In early December, the third graders began their repair research by doing the exact opposite of fixing—they took apart toasters, phones, toys, and other appliances and gadgets. For example, one student took apart a pink light-up yo-yo and was able to identify and tap the mechanism that made the yo-yo light up. A group of three students took apart a jukebox toy, discovering magnets so strong that they tore through a student's gloves as she was trying to separate them! Millie ‘31 paused to explain, “It’s so hard to take the toy apart because the toy was designed to be toddler/baby-proof.” By taking apart items and seeing how they were made, the repair apprentices were able to understand how they work and see how each individual part can work together to create a whole.
In early January, Burke’s repair enthusiasts began repairing items in earnest. Students and their families, as well as staff and faculty, brought in items needing mending. Third graders, along with parents and grandparents as their repair coaches, fixed everything from sunglasses and seat cushions to stuffed animals and wooden chairs. They used hot glue guns and needle and thread to reattach the broken odds and ends, and even learned to iron patches onto red bandanas (in preparation for their third-grade lion dance!). They then recorded their experiences in a small journal, detailing the item's story—what happened, where the repair was needed, which tools were used, what challenges arose, and how the problem was fixed. Lastly, each third grader had the opportunity to step forward and ring the bell that signaled a successful repair before hand-delivering their repaired items to their owners on campus.
Cyndera Quackenbush, Director of After School & Summer Programs, shared a testimonial: “Third graders provided expert and timely repairs to my jackets that had holes in the pockets. I could not believe how beautifully and quickly the tasks were accomplished. Their beaming faces of pride upon delivery were an added bonus to the experience!”
Burke's mission is to educate, encourage and empower girls. Our school combines academic excellence with an appreciation for childhood so that students thrive as learners, develop a strong sense of self, contribute to community, and fulfill their potential, now and throughout life.
Burke's admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.