PRESS RELEASE
Digital Promise and Maker Ed Launch the Maker Promise
Washington, D.C., March 9, 2016 — Digital Promise, a nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating innovation in education, and Maker Ed, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering educators to facilitate meaningful learning experiences with youth, today launched the Maker Promise. Announced by the White House as part of President Obama’s Nation of Makers initiative, the Maker Promise is a collaborative campaign to give more students the opportunity to make.
As part of this effort, Digital Promise and Maker Ed are challenging school and district leaders around the country to sign the Maker Promise, a concrete commitment by schools to dedicate a space for making, designate a champion for making, and display what students make. Participating schools will then become part of a national network of maker schools, and have access to a suite of free resources such as maker curriculum, professional development, makerspace design guides, and storytelling strategies.
“Everyone has a role to play in creating a nation of makers,” said Karen Cator, president and CEO of Digital Promise. “We’re inspired by school and community leaders who are ensuring that our students are engaged with designing, inventing, and producing, not just consuming.”
Maker Ed’s Executive Director Trey Lathe said, “All children deserve the opportunity to feel empowered, to express their creativity, and to find the joy in learning. With Maker Promise, we’re honored to support school leaders who share this vision.”
The Maker Promise is buoyed by the rise of the Maker Movement, a revolution that’s unleashing citizens’ ability to design and make almost anything they can envision, enhanced by digital design tools (like 3D modeling software) and production devices (like 3D printers). Maker education — or learning activities that incorporate the creativity of student-centered design and result in novel digital or physical creations — has the potential to better engage students of all ages and better prepare them for successful careers after graduation.
To sign the Maker Promise and learn more, please visit makerpromise.org. To view the White House announcement, please visit the White House blog.