DaVinci Center for Innovative Learning, housed within the San Joaquin County Office of Education in Stockton, CA, is a program focused on inspiring youth to build confidence, critical thinking, and problem solving skills through inquiry based science, media, technology and engineering projects.
Maker VISTA members have been working with a DaVinci staff members to coordinate volunteer trainings and professional development workshops for incoming volunteers. Volunteers are trained to facilitate making activities that inspire Stockton area youth to think creatively.
VISTAs have also developed volunteer tool boxes called Maker Kits, which are given to volunteers to use during making sessions. The kits contain enough materials to facilitate at least four inexpensive making activities. These activities are to serve as models for formal and informal educators to use in varied educational settings.