Calling Maker Educators to Convene at The Crucible in Oakland

Education
Calling Maker Educators to Convene at The Crucible in Oakland

Empower. Excite. Experiment. Inspire.

These are some of the words Renee Harmon, Vice President of Science Learning at the Science Center of Iowa (SCI), uses when describing the amazing, statewide impact of her organization’s work in maker education. For teachers and students across Iowa, the Science Center of Iowa has become a focal point and inspiration for a growing community of makers.

It is so important, Harmon tells us, for her organization and maker educators in general “…to develop networks, collaborate…and increase…[understanding] of how best to support K-12 schools and libraries as they initiate their own maker journeys.”  That’s why Renee will be attending Maker Ed’s 2016 Maker Educator Convening at The Crucible in Oakland, California. This event will be a unique opportunity for maker educators to strategize, share, and deepen the collective impact of maker education!

Though Science Center of Iowa has done amazing work to become a leader of the maker movement in their community, their journey has not been easy. At Maker Ed, we often hear from the maker educators we encounter that the opportunity to connect with others in the field can be incredibly valuable, but hard to come by. We know that there is a need out there for fostering these connections, and we want to meet that need.

For the Science Center of Iowa, Renee tells Maker Ed, attending the Maker Educator Convening will allow her organization to make vital community connections, to learn from other inspiring maker educators, and to increase their ability to provide training and support to Iowa’s growing maker educator community.

Since 2014, The Science Center of Iowa has been developing amazing opportunities for teachers and students to engage with the maker movement. Their Make@SCI/ Makers Studio program invites visitors to explore the design process, and facilitates hands-on, collaborative innovation through daily Studio Time over the summer. SCI has also increased the attention and focus on making in their community by facilitating the professional development program Making STEM Connections.This dynamic program empowers teachers in Grades K-8 to cultivate engaging, purposeful and successful extensions of their already developed curriculum using maker skills and materials. In fact, Making STEM Connections was selected by the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council for the 2016-17 school year, which will enable SCI to provide professional development to 460 educators, museum professionals and librarians across Iowa.

More information about the 2016 Maker Educator Convening, and a link to register, can be found here. You can learn more about the Science Center of Iowa on their website, or by following @SCIOWA on Twitter.

 

Discuss this article with the rest of the community on our Discord server!
Tagged
Danny Kirk

Danny is Maker Ed’s Education Community Coordinator. Before joining Maker Ed, Danny spent many years as an out-of-school and after-school youth program leader and coordinator. He also brings with him a strong background in cooperative community development, having worked for organizations like the Berkeley Student Cooperative and Open Source Ecology. He is an enthusiastic maker who is currently inspired by hardware hacking, 3D printing, and circuit bending. Danny attended UC Berkeley where he received a BA in history with a focus on education and social change in modern Latin America.

View more articles by Danny Kirk

ADVERTISEMENT

Maker Faire Bay Area 2023 - Mare Island, CA

Escape to an island of imagination + innovation as Maker Faire Bay Area returns for its 15th iteration!

Buy Tickets today! SAVE 15% and lock-in your preferred date(s).

FEEDBACK