PRESS RELEASE:
Maker Ed Announces Maker Certification for Its Maker Corps Program
Maker Ed partners with Sonoma State University and the CSU Chancellor’s Office to offer a Maker Certificate to participants of the Maker Corps program.
Oakland, CA, June 1, 2015: In close partnership with Sonoma State University (SSU), Maker Education Initiative (Maker Ed)’s Maker Corps program is happy to announce that Maker Corps Members, along with participating staff at partner organizations, will be eligible to receive a Maker Certificate and 5 continuing education credits (CEUs), upon completion of the summer Maker Corps program.
The Maker Corps program, launched in 2012, increases the capacity of youth-serving organizations nationwide to engage youth and families in making. Maker Corps works with participating organizations and Maker Corps Members throughout the spring and summer, bringing them together through training, support, and an online community of practice with like-minded individuals and organizations. Diverse Maker Corps Members expand the current network of makers, mentors, and community leaders poised to lead creative experiences for youth, resulting in over 140,000 youth and families served by 200+ Maker Corps Members at 50 youth-serving organizations across 24 states in 2013 and 2014.
Offered by Sonoma State University for the first time this year, to wide acclaim, the Maker Certificate Program enables participants to learn the principles and practices of the Maker Movement and develop an action plan for implementation. Designed by educators, for educators, the program engages with adults and educators of all types, whether in-school teachers or community members and parents. It offers a unique professional development and mentorship opportunity, and its educational philosophy — which includes core values, learning principles, and design principles — align perfectly with Maker Ed’s Maker Corps program.
Maker Corps Members work at Host Sites throughout the summer and spend upwards of 320 hours on efforts related to maker education. They take part in online training, participate in a community of practice with other Maker Corps Members and Host Site Supervisors, play a critical role in the design, development, and documentation of maker programming behind-the-scenes, and facilitate maker activities and projects with youth and adults at Host Sites.
With support from the CSU Chancellor’s Office and Sonoma State University, Maker Corps Members who are open to becoming a STEM teacher and earning their teaching credential will earn a scholarship for their Maker Certification. The California State University (CSU) system and its 23 campuses are dedicated to supporting the development of STEM educators and are enthusiastic about integrating making and maker education in school-based settings.
Together, Maker Ed and Sonoma State University are opening up new opportunities and enabling well-deserved recognition and credit for Maker Corps Members across the nation. Based on the extensive work they do as part of the program, Maker Corps Members have yet another way to link to the growing community of passionate maker educators who bring about real learning and change in communities of all types.
About Maker Ed
Maker Ed is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating more opportunities for all young people to develop confidence, creativity, and interest in science, technology, engineering, math, art, and learning as a whole through making. Through its support of educators and communities, Maker Ed plays a national leadership role in both broadening access to and deepening the impact of meaningful making and learning experiences for youth. Maker Ed is a project of the Tides Center, a registered 501(c)3 non-profit public charity.
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