{"684459":{"#nid":"684459","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Atlanta Youth to Design \u2018Future of Paper\u2019 Exhibit at Papermaking Museum","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new educational initiative is set to teach Atlanta high school students how to create electronics, wearable devices, and other technologies that are built on paper and craft materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorkshops hosted by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/paper.gatech.edu\/visit-0\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERobert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and led by Georgia Tech Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/id.gatech.edu\/people\/hyunjoo-oh\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHyunJoo Oh\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E will introduce about 60 students from Atlanta Public Schools to paper-based electronics through hands-on workshops.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Williams Museum will open an exhibit titled \u201cThe Future of Paper\u201d that displays designs created in the workshop alongside visionary examples of paper-based technologies from Georgia Tech researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe exhibit, funded by the National Science Foundation, is slated to open to the public in 2027.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOh is a researcher with joint appointments in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ic.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Interactive Computing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/id.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Industrial Design.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E She leads the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.codecraft.group\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EComputational Design and Craft (CoDe Craft) Group\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech, where her team integrates everyday craft materials with computing to support creative exploration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOh believes paper could be widely used to support prototyping printed circuit boards (PCBs) as a sustainable alternative to silicon. While silicon is the most prominent material used by technology companies to build computer chips, it isn\u2019t biodegradable. And it can be harmful to the environment and contribute to e-waste.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPaper, however, provides an eco-friendly platform for printing conductive traces and mounting small electronic components. With the expansion of printed electronic tools and techniques, paper and similar materials have become more popular among technologists who develop sensing technologies and wearable devices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s widely available and accessible,\u201d Oh said. \u201cI can\u2019t think of anything more affordable and approachable that young makers and the broader maker community can use for circuits than paper.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPrinted electronics traditionally required expensive equipment, but with recent innovation in materials science, conductive materials such as conductive pens and paint available in local arts and crafts stores can be used to build circuits on paper. We can also print circuits using a regular office inkjet printer with silver ink.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EShared Vision\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShortly after arriving at Georgia Tech in 2019, Oh knew she had to develop a project that would let her partner with the Williams Museum.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI was captivated by the museum\u2019s space and its celebration of paper,\u201d she said. \u201cI wanted a collaboration that would integrate technology in a way that complemented and respected the museum\u2019s existing beauty.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMuseum director Virginia Howell said the project was a perfect match for the museum, which has documented the history of papermaking since it was founded in 1939 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Georgia Tech became the new home of the museum in 2003.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith more than 100,000 objects in its collection \u2014 some dating back as far as 2,000 years ago \u2014 the museum is unique, Howell said. Most papermaking museums are typically located at an historic mill, but the Williams Museum covers the history of papermaking.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowell said that before she met Oh, she had been looking for an exhibit that would display the possible future of papermaking.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe do the past of paper fantastically well, and we do the present of paper well through our changing exhibitions,\u201d Howell said. \u201cThe future of paper is something we haven\u2019t spent a lot of time interpreting.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECrafting the Future\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOh and Howell agree that young people will shape that future. Oh said paper is commonly linked to art in the education sphere. As the material\u2019s use in technology increases, however, it can funnel the interests of students toward engineering and computing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIncorporating paper and craft materials can invite more students to explore engineering and computing concepts. After all, a circuit board created on paper isn\u2019t so different from one built on a silicon PCB, Oh said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis approach can excite the kind of students who usually feel disconnected from electronics and computing,\u201d she said. \u201cIt gives those who only see themselves as creative or artistic a way to enjoy technology and resonate with it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUsually when I work with young students, especially girls, if I start with something technical, their interest wanes. But when I present those same ideas through art using familiar materials like paper, they become more engaged and confident. That\u2019s when they start to flourish.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOh and Howell will hold three rounds of 10-week workshops for the students \u2014 spring 2026, fall 2026, and spring 2027. The best designs from those workshops will be displayed in the exhibit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThey\u2019ll feel more comfortable with computing and engineering as an introductory experience,\u201d Howell said. \u201cWhen they successfully build on it and realize they did this on a sheet of paper, it\u2019s exciting to think what they\u2019ll do when they get more sophisticated tools and access.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new educational initiative, funded by the National Science Foundation, will teach Atlanta high school students how to create paper-based electronic devices. The workshops, led by Georgia Tech Assistant Professor HyunJoo Oh, will be hosted at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking. The workshops will culminate in a public exhibition of their work in 2027.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Paper-based electronics and student scientists"}],"uid":"30829","created_gmt":"2025-09-05 17:02:03","changed_gmt":"2025-09-05 17:12:45","author":"Virginia Howell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-09-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-09-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677819":{"id":"677819","type":"image","title":"Hyunjoo-Oh_86A9064-Enhanced-NR.jpg","body":null,"created":"1756309437","gmt_created":"2025-08-27 15:43:57","changed":"1756309437","gmt_changed":"2025-08-27 15:43:57","alt":"HyunJoo Oh","file":{"fid":"261760","name":"Hyunjoo-Oh_86A9064-Enhanced-NR.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/27\/Hyunjoo-Oh_86A9064-Enhanced-NR.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/27\/Hyunjoo-Oh_86A9064-Enhanced-NR.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":130876,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/27\/Hyunjoo-Oh_86A9064-Enhanced-NR.jpg?itok=noERIW_h"}}},"media_ids":["677819"],"groups":[{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"},{"id":"508641","name":"Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking"}],"categories":[{"id":"179356","name":"Industrial Design"}],"keywords":[{"id":"168606","name":"Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking"},{"id":"93791","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute"},{"id":"362","name":"National Science Foundation"},{"id":"38451","name":"georgia tech school of industrial design"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"64711","name":"eco-friendly"},{"id":"188363","name":"rcw-news"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENathan Deen\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ndeen6@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}