Discover how schools are transforming STEM learning through hands-on making, creativity, and innovation. Explore the latest news, inspiring stories and insights from our community.
The Cornhusker Council Scouts of America in Lincoln, Nebraska is bringing hands-on learning on the road with their mobile makerspace trailer. By connecting Scouts with skilled mentors and real-world STEM experiences, this innovative program is sparking curiosity, building skills, and helping youth explore future career pathways wherever they are.
This summer, 1st Maker Space is offering four free, one-hour virtual PD sessions designed to inspire hands-on learning and introduce educators to tools like AI, robotics, and digital fabrication. Each session provides practical strategies, ready-to-use resources, and engaging ideas that can be immediately implemented in classrooms or makerspaces.
Starting or growing a makerspace can feel overwhelming, but it does not have to be. In our latest blog, educator Adam Leutenegger shares 10 practical tips from the field to help schools build meaningful, sustainable makerspaces. From starting small to building a strong maker culture, this is a must-read for anyone looking to bring hands-on learning to their students.
West Side Leadership Academy in Gary, Indiana is transforming learning through a dynamic makerspace that gives high school students access to hands-on STEM experiences and real-world problem solving. As the only high school in the Gary Community School Corporation, the school serves grades 9 through 12 and offers students opportunities to explore science, technology, engineering, and the arts in meaningful, career-connected ways.
Students return to school each fall with fresh energy and the motivation to learn. For many, a 3D printer in the makerspace represents possibility—but that possibility only becomes real learning when students move beyond simply printing downloaded files.
You're ready to launch a makerspace at your school, but where do you start? Walking into the world of makerspace supplies can feel overwhelming, especially with budget constraints and administrators asking for justification
You want to bring maker education into your classroom, but the thought of managing laser cutters or troubleshooting 3D printers can seem intimidating for teachers new to makerspaces.
Every day, students walk into classrooms and see rows of desks, stacks of worksheets, and an endless supply of pencils. When those same students step into a makerspace and see 3D printers, cardboard sheets, and robotics kits sitting ready for exploration, the difference in how they respond tells you everything about what makes a makerspace work.
Eggers Middle School’s makerspace is a cross-curricular innovation hub where students build confidence and real-world skills through hands-on projects like engineering challenges, coding, and robotics, helping middle schoolers explore future career pathways.
Andrew B. Raupp is the founder of STEM.org Educational Research and a recognized leader in STEM education innovation. He has served as the inaugural Chairman of the Forbes Technology Council’s Edtech and Fintech subcommittees and co-founded the Newsweek Expert Forum. Known for his work in blockchain-based STEM credential validation and as a leading voice on education reform, Andrew has been featured in Forbes and Newsweek and recognized as an Emerging Leader by Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He continues to advocate for transparent, decentralized, and community-driven approaches to STEM education.
Dr. Chad LeDune explains why makerspaces and STEM labs represent a lasting shift in education, not a passing trend. Grounded in neuroscience and hands-on learning, these spaces foster problem-solving, collaboration, and the human skills AI cannot replace.
In Investing in the Future of Learning, Dale Dougherty challenges us to reconsider where we are placing our priorities as a society. Dougherty, founder of Make: Magazine and Maker Faire and widely regarded as the father of the modern Maker Movement, has spent decades championing hands-on learning, creativity, and human potential.
At Jac-Cen-Del Elementary, hands-on learning comes to life in the makerspace, where students are empowered to create, collaborate, and think critically through meaningful, maker-driven experiences.
In a screen-filled world, making matters because hands-on learning empowers students to create, think critically, and solve real problems rather than simply consume content.
Makerspace activities are revolutionizing education by providing hands-on learning experiences that foster creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
“1st Maker Space helped us get the makerspace up and running in our elementary school. They were great to work with and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them in the future.”
Jimmy Ellis Principal at Orleans Elementary School
★★★★★
“I want to thank you so much for supporting and believing in our school. It means more than you know! I’m so happy that 1st Maker Space is expanding and giving kids from every background an opportunity to dream big and do all that they can imagine.”
Naomi Kinsey Assistant Principal, Beveridge Elementary, Gary, IN
★★★★★
"We are so grateful to have our makerspace!"
Lindsey Stell Middle School STEM, Elkins Middle School, Elkins, WV
