Indiana Schools Implement Maker-Centered Learning with Digital Learning - Community Advisory Grant from IDOE
March 5, 2020
For Immediate Release
Several schools across Indiana will be implementing maker-centered learning with the Digital Learning - Community Advisory Grant. Grant recipients, winning an average of $50,000 each, were announced on Thursday, February 27, 2020 from the Indiana Department of Education.
The Indiana Department of Education asked eligible partners to provide matching grants by way of monetary funds or in-kind services. 1st Maker Space is providing a dollar for dollar match for any funds spent on curriculum or professional development for Digital Learning Grant recipients. “1st Maker Space is proud to partner with the Indiana Department of Education,” said Mary Rinehart, President & CEO of 1st Maker Space. “These grant funds will allow schools to invest in maker curriculum and professional development, which is often the first thing cut from a makerspace when funds are tight. Our curriculum and professional development gives educators the tools they need to implement a culture of making, which gives students opportunities to practice both technology and employability skills together in a safe space.”
1st Maker Space is partnering with five Indiana School Corporations through this grant.
Dugger Union Community School Corporation plans to transform their media center into a K-12 makerspace. Each grade level will start with one maker project and teachers will have the opportunity to participate in professional development around maker culture and computer science. “We are excited to create a new innovative space where our students will be given an opportunity to be creative, work with their peers, explore different careers, and come up with solutions to different problems,” said Shannon Gerig, the Guidance Counselor at Dugger Union Community Schools.
MSD of Lawrence Township plans to conduct maker-centered professional development at all eleven elementary schools. “This professional development will be key to developing a maker culture as the makerspaces are being developed,” said Kris McAloon, the Assistant Director of Workforce Readiness. “A great makerspace doesn’t matter if teachers don’t know what to do with it. In Lawrence Township, we are providing professional development to educators through 1st Maker Space to make the best investment possible for the community.”
North Montgomery School Corporation is providing professional development for their media specialists and art teachers to take their elementary makerspaces to the next level.
Switzerland County School Corporation is preparing to invest in a makerspace at the elementary and middle level by providing maker curriculum and professional development for multiple elementary and middle school educators across the district starting in August. All educators will be prepared to implement a maker project in their classroom in the 2020-21 school year. “We are appreciative and thankful to 1st Maker Space for their time, effort and contribution for making this grant possible. This partnership will provide positive experiences for our students as they continue to grow and learn in the field of STEM,” said Fred Ross, Testing Coordinator at Switzerland County School Corporation.
Yorktown Community Schools is excited to work with 1st Maker Space to create a vision for making at YCS. Their first focus will be at Yorktown Middle School. They will begin to create a plan for a makerspace in a new space which is currently under construction.
To learn more about the Digital Learning - Community Advisory Grants, click here.
To learn more about 1st Maker Space, click here.