Lots of educators have side hustles that many times are jobs like tutoring or coaching. Paul Bogush’s side hustle is decidedly unique.
Bogush, a social studies teacher at Dag Hammarskjold Middle School in Wallingford, is the designer, creator, lead tester, and CEO (chief elimination officer!) at Holey Hiker Backpacking Bidets. An avid hiker, he tried other portable bidets and found that none was as lightweight, durable, easy to use, and low on water usage as he wanted—so he decided to make his own.
“I started testing out designs in 2020,” he recalls, “and each time I went out, I made a small change. Based on feedback from testers all around the country and my own experience—including hikes on the Appalachian Trail—I fired up the 3D printer and made improvements. Another year of prototyping and experimenting with different plastics, and I had the final version—and my first sale at holeyhiker.com!”
Not surprisingly, Bogush teaches a capstone class in a makerspace.
“That environment encourages kids to wonder, become radically curious, and make things they thought were previously impossible,” he says. “Kids don’t want to be taught; they want to be inspired by someone. I don’t just plan and teach; I learn and explore alongside my students—tinkering, playing, designing, and exploring new ideas that have no borders. When students feel like giving up, I lean in and whisper, ‘Try it one more time.’”
