Connected Learning Summit 2019

Making Spaces: Expanding Maker Education Across the Nation, is a program partnership between Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and Maker Education Initiative, with support from Google, which aims to develop a national strategy to sustainably integrate making into schools across the country in order to shift pedagogy and practice. This is done through three primary mechanisms: professional development, community engagement and networked support at local, regional and national levels. The program employs a model where multiple participating schools partner with a nearby regional hub, such as a museum or science center. The network currently encompasses 21 hubs and over 200 schools.

This workshop will present a brief overview of the Making Spaces program and then engage participants in several tools and resources used in this program. We will discuss how these tools can, and have, been used for practice, evaluation, and research in museums, libraries, and schools around the country. Our hands-on activities will allow participants to practice and adapt these tools for use in their own contexts going forward. During this workshop, we will also explore the theory of change behind the real stories of programmatic impact, including the most successful models, modes, and elements of professional development and sustained support offered by hubs to create lasting and valued change in their communities.

We will conclude with time for questions, open discussion, and intentional thinking about next steps.