Photo courtesy of Suffolk Public Library
SUFFOLK, Va. – Suffolk Public Library is lighting up the world of technology with their hands-on event, Flip the Switch, January 26.
The event will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at North Suffolk Library and will provide opportunities to explore technology in new ways. Flip the Switch is free to attend and open to the public.
Four zones will be set up to allow participants of all ages to get hands-on with different technologies: Code and Cogs, The Green Scene, The Gaming Zone and the Make and Create Area. Attendees can watch tech demonstrations, participate in an electro-magnet activity, and learn about coding and robotics.
Environmentally friendly technologies such as a modified bike used to generate power by pedaling will be on display. Attendees will also be able to learn how drones are used to help the environment.
Gamers will have the chance to play both retro and modern video games and even compete in a high score contest. The contest games will be Mario 3 on NES, Tetris on SNES/NES, and Sonic on Genesis. For the creative folk, there will be technologies available to create art and crafts. People can paint with Sphero robots, get hands-on with Osmos creative board activities, and make a recycled garbage-bot craft.
There will be a host of other organizations on site offering a deeper look into even more technologies. ECPI University will showcase virtual reality and offer coding activities. The Nansemond-Suffolk Academy Robotics Club will demonstrate their latest robot and discuss robotics. A drone photographer will be on hand, as well as Paul D. Camp Community College’s Sustainability Coordinator.
An exciting new technology will also be unveiled at Flip the Switch in conjunction with another program taking place in January at the library. As part of the Suffolk Reads 2.0 Winter Reading Challenge, if the community reaches its 8,000 book reading goal, the Friends of the Suffolk Public Library will donate $1,000 to purchase new technology for the library.
To help earn this prize and compete for other prizes, people can sign up for the reading challenge through the library’s website.
To learn more about the Suffolk Public Library, visit this link. Any updated on this event can be found on Facebook at this link.
