Maker & STEM

Our nation’s continued economic prosperity is closely linked with student success in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Use these resources to explore the critical role STEM education plays in driving innovation, and how schools and districts can expand the capacity and diversity of tomorrow’s STEM workforce.

All Maker & STEM toolkit files

A zip file containing all of the downloadable Maker & STEM toolkit resources

ZIP

Afterschool Maker Spaces

Learn how to start an afterschool Maker space in your school

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Funding School Maker Spaces

Familiarize yourself with the funding options and resources that can bring “Making” to your school

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Make and Take

Discover what it takes to create projects made of affordable materials that children can bring home

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Making the Case for Making

Use this resource to share with peers, parents and administrators

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Steps to Creating an Amazing Make Space

Discover the simple steps to organizing and implementing a Maker Space

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The Maker Space Library

Learn the techniques for getting a Maker mindset going in your school, starting with the school library

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What is Design Thinking?

Learn more about the Design Thinking process and how it helps in questioning a problem, assumptions, and overall implications by re-framing the issue in fresh new ways

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What Makes a Maker Space?

Discover the basic elements for a successful Maker curriculum

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Maker Resources

See the wide-range of simple resources available to students and teachers

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Enhancing NGSS Through Makerspaces

Cross-reference the Science and Engineering Practices with the Makerspace Movement to maximize hands-on learning.

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Evaluating the Success of Your Makerspaces

Learn what makes a successful makerspace and how that success can be measured

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Reality Bytes: Virtual Reality and K-12 Education

Virtual Reality immerses students in rich worlds to free learning from the confines of a screen.

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	A New Kind of Magic School Bus: Mobile Makerspaces and Increased Access Beaverton School District’s bus #224 has been operational since 1989, but it's been given a 2016 makeover. BSD remodeled #224, painting the exterior bright colors and reimagining the interior into a “Future Bus,” filled with equipment to engage the next generation of innovators.	News
	Why Making Matters Education trends come and go (and come back again), but most makers will agree that the Maker movement is more than just another trend. So why is the Maker movement so impactful?	Blog
	Need Maker Resources? Start Here! The Maker Movement is all about options: what would you like to create? How best would you like to express that project? What materials and tools would help bring about your desired results? It makes sense then that our professional learning around makerspaces should be as equally diverse and customizable. Below, explore different mediums for growing your own maker capacity.	Blog
	Sharing Innovation with Leadership Labs Melissa Lim shares what Portland Public Schools is doing during Instructional Leadership Academies with school leaders.	Blog
	STEM as a Verb- 10 Ways to Set STEM in Motion Mike Gorman explores the definitions and variations of STEM in today's schools. See this practical and powerful guide for transforming STEM nouns in to action verbs and finding a way to bring the verbs of STEM to every student!	Blog
	A Natural Fit - PBL, STEM and Technology Integration What do PBL, STEM and technology integration have in common? Read as Mike Gorman explores three initiatives and the important roles they take to make a wonderful classroom learning environment for students.	Blog
	Dell and the Science Leadership Academy Team up to Support Excellence Philadelphia's Science Leadership Academy (SLA) and The Franklin Institute have announced a partnership with Dell to form a new “Center of Excellence in Learning.”	News