The National Week of Making brought together a nation of makers to a series of celebratory events. I was so excited to get the chance to take part in these events as the Deputy Director of Maker Ed, and I want to take you on a journey through my experiences during this epic week!
It started on Thursday on Capitol Hill with a series of panels as part of the Congressional Maker Caucus, a bi-partisan group of members of Congress working to support and advocate for the maker community. The panels covered topics on makerspaces, workforce development, making in the community and maker education. Hearing from maker educators (dressed to impress!) from around the country commenting on the unique value making brings to education and what allows the movement to flourish was inspiring.
Making values the journey more than the destination. This distinguishes it from most other STEM programs. – @RepMarkTakano #CHMakerFaire
— Tim Bailey (@tim846) June 11, 2015
“At the center are the people. Find the burning souls and keep them burning!” Wise words @jeffsturges #CHMakerFaire @MakerEdOrg
— Lisa Regalla (@Regallium) June 11, 2015
Down the hall was the Capitol Hill Maker Faire, coordinated by IMLS. This Faire showcased a variety of educational institutions from museums to HBCUs to libraries and more (many of whom were partners of Maker Ed!) engaging with members of Congress. Just a usual “day in the life of a maker.”
Enjoyed checking out the amazing work from Makers all over the country at today’s #CHMakerFaire pic.twitter.com/51py0Zb9tr
— Congressman Tim Ryan (@RepTimRyan) June 11, 2015
On Friday, I felt proud to be sitting in the room representing Maker Ed at the Week of Making Kick off event at the White House. The day was filled with panels and discussions from leaders in the field, but by far, the most touching were the series of heartfelt presentations from youth makers showcasing their unbelievable (and many times untapped) potential. Among them were Aidan Robinson and his mentor Coby Unger, who met at a summer camp where kids design their own prosthetic devices. Together, they created a “swiss army knife” of attachments for Aidan’s prosthetic arm, including a spoon and fork and a LEGO attachment. We also heard from Project H, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching youth to design and build their future with heart, hands, and hammers. A host of young girls from the program told us their story of empowerment through welding.
“The big ideas of the future are being built by small hands.” #weekofmaking #NationofMakers @DigitalPromise
— Sara Schapiro (@sschappy) June 12, 2015
Love this image! #RI native, @CobyUnger at the #whitehouse #weekofmaking kickoff w/ Aidan. #nationofmakers pic.twitter.com/Ed7qjKvDHq
— OurPVD (@OurPVD) June 12, 2015
“I’m a ten year old girl. I know how to weld. What can’t I do?” @ProjectHDesign #WeekofMaking pic.twitter.com/gm6O8Wkki3
— Kirsten Ellenbogen (@kellenbogen) June 12, 2015
From there, we launched right into the National Maker Faire held at University of D.C. campus. This event ran Friday and Saturday and featured makers and educators from around the U.S. who braved the sweltering heat to share their love of making. It was a Faire like no other, jam-packed with everything from duct tape creations to 3D printers to a person wandering inside a gigantic orgami-like dinosaur costume made of cardboard!
Pres Obama’s #science advisor at #NatlMakerFaire Read his @WhiteHouse blog on #weekofmaking → https://t.co/eKZADT8Raf pic.twitter.com/SxCc2LOcRf
— National Maker Faire (@natlmakerfaire) June 13, 2015
The momentum continued on Sunday with an Afternoon of Making and Exploring Possibilities, a Maker Ed-led workshop at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Educators and superintendents from around the country gathered to hear from the Deputy Director of the USPTO and to make, while exploring debates around protecting your inventions. Many people commented that they had never seen so many superintendents together in one room learning through play!
#nationofmakers #weekofmaking an afternoon of making @uspto pic.twitter.com/wceyllgeLL
— tab1228 (@tab1228) June 14, 2015
Last, but certainly not least, was the White House Making and Education event, taking place on Monday. Maker Ed, Digital Promise and AASA partnered to collect letters from superintendents and school leaders who committed to bring making to their schools and districts, culminating in a roundtable discussion around making and education at the White House. The energy from being at the White House with these innovative leaders was palatable. I’m excited for what we will see in our schools across the country over the next year based on the spark of this discussion.
Innovative school districts as change makers at White House Maker Education Roundtable. #21stcenturyskills #NationOfMakers #weekofmaking
— An-Me Chung (@anmechung) June 15, 2015
My hope is not to change making to fit into schools but to change our schools to fit in making – Yes! @dalepd #weekofmaking
— Gina Silveira (@GSilveira007) June 15, 2015
I was asked recently how long it takes to become a “recognized” makerspace. If you would ask any of the folks in DC that week, I’m sure that many (including myself) would never have imagined that we would go from humble beginnings (church basements, corners and carts) to sitting in the Executive Office Building at the White House. The momentum is growing and spaces are being recognized for their amazing commitments to youth in their communities. How long it takes is only limited by your own imagination.
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