Contact: Edwin Groothuis - edwin.groothuis@nsw.scouts.com.au - 0430 150 894

Last year at Jamboree in QLD I met Michael Gross, leader at Cobargo Scouts from the SC&TL region. He ran the STEM Electronics event there, where the Scouts were able to build them first electronic gadget. He also had an evening event for leaders there where he invited all adults at the camp to come over and listen to his story.

We didn't really talk, but he had some interesting ideas and a website (https://cobargoscouts.org.au/jota-joti-electronics.html) where he has published all his work (schematics, PCB design, component lists, work sheets, code) for free to use. After I came back from Jamboree I had another look at it and slowly interest started to grow to a point where I thought "let's see what happens if I run an event for it in the same way as Michael said he does".

In the 12 months after that, I slowly started to purchase some basic tools (three soldering irons + stands + cutters), learned all about ordering PCBs and components and what goes wrong when you buy components in bulk and from local and overseas websites, a monster-of-a-spreadsheet to keep track of prices and costs, and made some pre-packaged kits.

In February this year I ran a Saturday event where we had seven older Cub Scouts who made an electronic gadget and in early May we had an event for eight older Joey Scout/ younger Cub Scouts who made a simpler one.

Kids were on both occasions very excited: they held a soldering iron for the first time, melted metal and went home with a little gadget.

I discussed this with the adult helper with whom I did the events and with Michael Gross on how we can make it a bit more exciting for the Scouts who want to go deeper. I made a proposal for a standard program which goes into what the components actually are, how they can be identified, give them a hands-on on experiences and give them a booklet with what they learned. Michael is very excited about it as this was what he was looking for but never got to it, and he wants to publish this to his mailing-list of Scouts electronics friends.

There are several levels for what I want to achieve, organise, provide, ….

Or at least collect names from people who are running or have been running electronics projects within the Scouts NSW team.

I know that there are people in the SC&T region (A cheer to the 1st Cobargo Scouts group), that the Hume region Fellowship is has it on their website, that the Fairlight / Manly group did it at their JOTA weekend in 2025, that GWS had electronic kit building at their JOTA event in 2023, that Garrigal and Northern Beaches District Scouts had and has it on their JOTA weekends. But who and where?

By creating a team, inviting everybody with interest to join, collect projects and experiences and upcoming events, we can create interest from other leaders and grow the STEM component in our Scouts NSW activities.

During STEM Soldering events, I want to give the Scouts (8yo Joey Scouts / Cub Scouts / Scouts / Venturer Scouts / Leaders) the opportunity to learn how create a small electronic gadget, soldered all by themselves. One-off, not going deeper into it.

The kit / gadgets are the ones from https://cobargoscouts.org.au/jota-joti-electronics.html or from third parties.

Scouts (any age) want to build an electronics kit: Firebug, irritator, hypnotic, eWoggle.
This can be done on in a normal program or on an organised event.

See the STEM Soldering Event for Scouts document for details.

The costs and efforts to run a STEM Soldering event can be daunting: You will need to make one-off investments in equipment, components for kits and arrange people to help you.

For individual groups, organising such an event is a high bar. But on district, hub or region level this should be possible, as you re-use the equipment and worksheets, you buy components in bulk and you draw from a pool of people with experience.

See the STEM Soldering Event for Scouts document for details on how to run a soldering event, from the purchase of the equipment and components to the running of the event.

I also want to give the Scouts and Venturer Scouts the support to learn more about electronics by creating a STEM Electronics SIA pathway in which they learn all about the components, diagrams, soldering, safety etc.

For Joey Scouts, it will be a simple participation in a soldering events.

For Cub Scouts, it will be a bit of self-study about components, a workshop about identifying components and making a small gadget, and a workshop about safe soldering and the making a PCB based gadget.

For Scouts, as above, plus the purchasing of components, and self-study about the internals and workings of electronic components, adjustments to their electronics kit and repair of a soldered electronic gadget.

For Venturer Scout levels, as above, plus a pathway into digital electronics, Arduino electronics and radio electronics (To be created)

For the Scouts (any age) who want to do a STEM Electronics SIA project, I have the following pathways in mind:
 

1. Joey Scouts
   1. Build a Firebug and the environment for it to live in (container with crumbled up semi-transparent paper)
   2. Show it off to the unit.
       
2. Cub Scouts
   1. Study the STEM Basic Electronics for Scouts document.
   2. During a 90 minute workshop, learn to identify the components, multi-meter, reading a diagram, building something on a breadboard.
   3. During a 60 minute workshop, learn to solder and build a kit (hypnotic, dit-dit-dit kit, something with a lot of soldering islands).
   4. Show it off to the unit.
       
3. Scouts
   1. Study the STEM Basic Electronics for Scouts document, purchase components.
   2. During a 90 minute workshop, learn to identify the components, multi-meter, reading a diagram, building something on their breadboard.
   3. Study the STEM Advanced Electronics for Scouts document, answer the questions in it.
   4. During a 60 minute workshop, learn to solder and build a kit (hypnotic, dit-dit-dit kit, something with a lot of soldering islands).
   5. Show it off to the unit.
       
4. Venturer scouts
   1. Study the STEM Basic Electronics for Scouts document, purchase components.
   2. During a 90 minute workshop, learn to identify the components, multi-meter, reading a diagram, building something on their breadboard.
   3. Study the STEM Advanced Electronics for Scouts document, answer the questions in it.
   4. During a 60 minute workshop, learn to solder and build a kit (hypnotic, dit-dit-dit kit, something with a lot of soldering islands).
   5. One of the ​further paths:

      1. Digital Components …

      2. Arduino ...

      3. Radio Basics for Venturer Scouts document (Amateur Radio license equivalent), SDR (NFM, WFM, ADS-B, Pager, 433MHz, Air traffic, FT8, WSPR, weather fax), obtain Amateur Radio Foundation License.

The below documents describe the parts for the Cub Scouts and the Scouts, including leader documentation:

• STEM Electronics SIA Planning -- Examples of proposals of SIA projects to be presented to the Unit Council / Leaders

• STEM Basic Electronics for Scouts -- The workbooks for the participant and for the leaders/mentors.

• STEM Advanced Electronics for Scouts -- The workbook for the Scout level SIA project.

• STEM Soldering Event for Scouts -- How to organise a soldering event

• STEM Electronics Projects Team - Events and SIA – The overview of which documents are related to which events and SIAs.