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About Newton’s Attic
Learn. Build. Play.
A Mechanalia student designed and built her own
robotic arm and gripper during a week-long summer
day camp.
Our Mission
Engineering Education
Our mission is to stimulate interest in science and
engineering through exciting, hands-on projects,
classes, and summer camps.
“Newton’s Attic’s approach can
inspire students. If they see
how math and science can be fun,
exciting and useful, they will be
more likely to give it a chance.”
—Dr. Bruce Walcott, Associate Dean of Engineering,
University of Kentucky
4974 Old Versailles Rd. • Lexington, KY 40510
859.368.7334 • Email: Bill@NewtonsAttic.com
Lexington, KY • www.NewtonsAttic.com
Newton’s Attic, a 501c3 nonprofit founded in
1998 by Bill Cloyd, is dedicated to providing
students with highly unusual educational
experiences and providing STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
educational resources to parents, students
and teachers at all grade levels. Newton’s Attic
has worked with numerous middle and high
schools and groups in Fayette and surrounding
counties as well as the
University of Kentucky, Berea College, EKU,
WKU and with students from as far away as
Colorado, who have traveled to participate in
the unique programs.
Frustrated by the confines of the classroom,
Cloyd was inspired to create Newton’s Attic
where he developed a highly engaging
approach to educating students about the
excitement, fun, and career opportunities
available to them through physics and
engineering. Using the concept of play as the
ultimate learning tool, Cloyd now has a library
of programs that allow students to engage in
hands-on design, fabrication and field-testing
of their own mechanical devices in highly
energized and competitive environments.
Cloyd is a professional mechanical engineer.
Bill Cloyd works with a Wrestling Robots student
during summer camp.
Programs
Resources
Summer Day Camps
Facility
• Serving students ages 5 to 18
• Participants learn skills including basic
physics/engineering principles, the design
process and hand and power tool use.
• Classes are small with personalized
instruction and no more than eight
students per teacher.
• Students keep the projects they make.
The addition of a facility in the spring of 2012
allows Newton’s Attic to serve an unprecedented
number of students throughout the year. The
two buildings on five acres near the Bluegrass
Airport house full wood and metal working
shops, a 3D printer, an electronics room, two
computer labs and plenty of space for events,
student projects, and the ever-expanding array of
large and unique Newton’s Attic resources, many
of which can be transported to your location.
• Most camps are one week long, MondayFriday, available every week throughout
the summer.
Afterschool Programs
• Six-week sessions throughout the year
• Serving students ages 6-18
Home School Services
• Classes at our facility or yours
Messer Multi-purpose Room
Thanks to a $25,000 donation from Messer
Construction Foundation, Newton’s Attic will
have a 2,400 square foot multi-purpose room
that will allow us to offer new programs such
as science themed overnight lock-ins, robotics
events and Unmanned Arial Vehicle and First
Person Viewer competitions.
• Resources/Kits/Demonstrations
Instructors and Courses
Group Events
Newton’s Attic is fortunate to work with many
talented instructors of varying ages and
backgrounds. High school and college students,
certified teachers and retired professionals all
bring their quality and enthusiastic instruction
to offer an ever-evolving array of courses in all
areas of STEM, from computer programming,
digital arts, electronics and chemistry to robotics
and engineering.
• Birthday Parties
• Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts/etc.
• Academic Field Trips/Overnight Capacity
Special Project Shop Use
• Serving students and adults
Evening/Weekend Classes
“ I had no idea of the scope of this
project. If this class doesn’t
produce some serious engineering
interest, nothing will.”
—Daryl E., parent of Mechanalia student
The Ballista (aka “The “Pumpkin Chunker”)
premiered in 2012 at the Bi-Water Farm Kentucky
Children’s Hospital Fundraiser.
Devices
These unusual devices are used to demonstrate
the principles of physics—or just for fun:
• The POD—this 18 foot tall, double-barreled tennis
ball machine gun, housing 2500 tennis balls, is used
in a variety of exciting engineering competitions
• RC Robot Chassis—this remote control fleet can be
made competition ready by student-built attachments
• The Ballista—a medieval era machine that propels
pumpkins or other projectiles hundreds of feet
• G-Force—125-foot long, bungee-powered mini
rollercoaster (pictured below)
• The Launcher—a near-by lake or circus net is
required to enjoy this “fun with physics” ride
The Mobile Engineering Center (MEC)
This climate controlled, portable engineering
center is designed to accommodate up to ten
students at work stations equipped with hand
and power tools and a welding/ spray paint
booth. The MEC can be rented by the hour or
by the day and transported to your location.
G-Force, built by students as an engineering
project, can be used to teach physics or just for fun.
“ This is what made me decide
to go into engineering.”
—Stephanie,highschooljuniorMech-Anticsparticipant