By Ken Walters / 412-268-1151
A group of higher education institutions at the forefront of the Maker movement, including universities, community colleges, art and design schools, announced the creation of the Make Schools Alliance during a meeting today (Dec. 4) at the White House Office of Science Technology and Policy.
"Our partners at Bucknell University, Case Western Reserve University, Georgia Tech and California State University, Northridge were instrumental in creating this alliance," said Daragh Byrne, Carnegie Mellon University's Intel Special Faculty for Physical Computing, Responsive Environments and Emerging Media with the School of Architecture and the IDeATe Network.
The alliance also launched MakeSchools.org, a National Science Foundation-funded online resource to support and showcase the work of the more than 150 colleges and universities that made commitments at the first White House Maker Faire in June. NSF funded the original site development.
"Both the NSF and community support of MakeSchools.org are critical to increasing awareness of the transformative potential of Making on our campuses. Through the platform, we can offer faculty, students and staff, rich resources for understanding the spaces, projects and mentors they need to engage in hands-on making and we can increase student interest in Maker pathways that lead to STEM, integrative tech/art/design, and emerging economies," said Byrne, who is leading the Web platform's development.
"Making is an enormous catalyst for innovation and leads to all sorts of economic, societal and community impact. This is what we're working to showcase," Byrne said.
Today, MakeSchools.org details nearly 50 higher education institutions' initiatives, programs and collaborations that foster making. The Make Schools Alliance is dedicated to growing this resource for capturing best practices and supporting research that examines the impact of making on learning, student retention and degree completion in STEM fields.
In the months ahead, the alliance plans to launch a national student maker initiative aimed at stimulating greater interest in STEM fields and aiding in college preparation.
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