Re-launching Electronics in Marche: A PCB Ruler for Middle School Orientation

Hi everyone! I’m an Electronics Laboratory teacher at a technical institute in the Marche region (Italy). Today, I want to share a simple but meaningful project: an Electronics PCB Ruler designed specifically as a gadget for middle school students visiting our school during orientation.

The Challenge: Bridging the Gap in the Marche Tech Sector

In our region, enrollment in Electronics and Electrical Engineering is facing a significant crisis. Fewer students choose this path every year, creating a huge paradox: the Marche industrial landscape is rich with electronics, automation, and manufacturing companies constantly searching for specialized technicians, but the workforce simply isn't there.

This year, a group of newly hired teachers (including myself) decided to take action. Our goal is to renew interest in electronics among younger students in our area by introducing extra-curricular, hands-on projects outside of regular class hours, and by encouraging our current students to participate in national school-level electronics competitions.

The Project: The Orientation PCB Ruler

To give middle schoolers a tangible piece of what electronics is, we designed this custom ruler in class. It’s not just a measuring tool; it’s an invitation to explore.

• Educational Gadget: It features component footprints (SMD and Through-Hole), essential formulas, and even a QR code that links directly to our school's website.
• Souvenir: A simple PCB that visitors can take home, showing them that electronics is a tangible thing they can actually hold in their hands.

Empowering Students via EasyEDA & JLCPCB

Our turnaround strategy relies heavily on the EasyEDA + JLCPCB ecosystem, which has been a game-changer for our laboratory:

• Accessibility: Being cloud-based, EasyEDA allows our students to work from any computer—at school or at home—without complex installations.
• Engagement: The instant 3D preview feature bridges the gap between schematic abstraction and physical reality, keeping students highly motivated.
• EasyEDA Education Program: We recently joined the dedicated program for schools, which provides our students with special discounts to order and manufacture their custom-designed PCBs. Seeing their digital designs arrive as physical boards is the ultimate hook for their passion..

Learning from the OSHWLAB Community

OSHWLAB is also very useful for us to find ideas and inspiration for projects we can develop with our students.

We hope our efforts—and this small ruler project—can help revitalize technical education in our area.

Feel free to clone, modify, or use this design for your own school orientation events!