In March 2016, Digital Promise and Maker Ed issued a call to action for school leaders around the country to commit to growing the next generation of American makers, by dedicating a space for making, designating a champion to lead the effort, and showcasing student work. During the National Week of Making in June 2016, we announced that school and district leaders, representing over 1,400 schools in all 50 states, had signed the Maker Promise, affirming their commitment to this growing movement for more creative, student-centered learning.
Today, we are issuing a new call to action and expanding the Maker Promise to invite educators working both in and out of schools, as well as community advocates, to sign the Promise. The maker movement in education requires both grassroots and leadership support, and Maker Ed and Digital Promise are committed to supporting all stakeholders. The most successful examples of maker learning in schools have the support and buy-in of administrators, faculty, staff, and the entire surrounding community, including families and local businesses and organizations.
To help show the world what great maker learning looks like – in many different forms, contexts, and implementations – we will release a series of videos in the coming weeks featuring Maker Promise schools across the United States. The first video released today, featuring the Sitka School District in Alaska, shows how maker learning can be infused and supported not only in the culture of a school district, but by all members of the community.
For instance, Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tompkins, who represents Sitka in the Alaska House of Representatives, is featured in the video, as well as Alaska’s Commissioner for Education and Early Development, Michael Johnson. Johnson says, “[Sitka School District Superintendent] Mary Wegner and her students are helping others realize that technology and creating are not separate from the rest of the curriculum. Making integrates all curriculum in a manner that reflects the world our students will live, work, and play in.”
You can hear from and chat with Mary, along with Sitka second grade teacher Cindy Duncan, during Maker Ed’s Ask a Maker Educator webinar on May 24 at 7pm ET / 4pm PT.
