"When children and teens make things, they are having fun but they are also engaged in learning," said Dale Dougherty, president of Maker Media and co-founder of Maker Faire. "We know that children need the opportunity the explore making and develop their capabilities through practice. And we know teachers desire the training and information to bring these opportunities to their classrooms! This collaboration with the education community to reach young people in these meaningful ways is resulting in a new generation of makers. It's thrilling for Maker Faire to be at the crux of this transformation."
Maker Faire has the support again this year of Cognizant, sponsor of the Young Maker Pavilion. Cognizant, a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process services, is proud to sponsor the Young Maker Pavilion as part of its Making the Future education initiative, which seeks to inspire young learners in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math (STEAM) by providing fun, hands-on learning opportunities. Young Makers and their instructors from Cognizant's Making the Future after-school and summer programs from across the United States will be conducting workshops for children attending the Faire, demonstrating how children can "learn by making" by engaging them in fun, hands-on projects such as electronics, programming, and 3D printing. Cognizant has funded over 68 after-school and summer programs across the country since Making the Future was first launched at the World Maker Faire in September 2011. The Maker Education Initiative will join Cognizant in the Young Maker Pavilion and host an Education Café, featuring a cadre of speakers and networking opportunities to engage with leaders in the education field.
The Young Maker Pavilion will feature many individuals and groups, who are 18 years or younger, demonstrating their latest projects. Faire visitors will be able to see such projects as robotics inventions, microscopes built from laser-cut parts, holiday light shows controlled by Arduinos, and prototype designs for monuments for famous women in American history.
Through Maker Faire, Maker Media will launch a number of new programs to support K-12 students and teachers to build on their efforts to learn about making and participate in the event. These offerings are a direct result of feedback from this community to engage in a year-round, more inclusive Maker Faire experience. Here are some highlights of the new opportunities, including two events occurring the week of Maker Faire Bay Area 2014:
- Maker Faire Teacher Team: Teachers "on assignment" for Maker Faire can help spread the word, build the educator community, and share the making they're doing in the classroom to earn tickets to the Faire. Interested teachers can learn more and sign up here: http://makerfaire.com/maker-faire-teacher-team/
- Maker Faire Class Pack: This program, currently a pilot offering, utilizes a set of "making materials" provided to a small selection of local schools to encourage hands-on learning in the classroom. The program's activity guides will be available online during the introductory phase so that any classroom can try the activities with their own materials. The program will be rolled out for wider distribution and participation during the summer.
- Maker Connections: A series of Hangouts on Air, connecting classrooms with makers, will begin April 11, 2014, with Maker Faire favorite, Eepy Bird, of Diet Coke & Mentos fame. More information can be found at: http://makerfaire.com/bay-area-2014/learning/makerconnections/
- Maker Faire Educators' Community: Maker Faire, the perfect place for students and teachers to learn about making, building and creating is just around the corner. Tickets and special discounts to Maker Faire are more accessible than ever before to the student/teacher community. Classroom educators are encouraged to stay connected by subscribing to the educator community newsletter to stay up on the latest information and to received tickets and discounts for the Faire. The newsletter will also detail the opportunities for learning via Maker Faire as well as special programs, discounted products, and more. Educators can sign up here: http://makezine.com/join-our-education-community/
- Educator Meetup: Thursday, May 15, 2014, 4pm - 7pm at the San Mateo Event Center. The Educator Meetup is an opportunity for educators of all types to develop and learn maker skills they can integrate into their curriculum. More information can be found at: http://mfba14-educatormeetup.eventbrite.com/
- Making Possibilities Workshop: The Maker Education Initiative, a non-profit organization founded by Dale Dougherty in 2012 and of which Maker Media and Cognizant are founding sponsors, will host its first annual Making Possibilities Workshop for 100 educators at Intel's headquarters in Santa Clara, CA on Thursday, May 15, 2014. Applications for the free day-long opportunity are due April 4. More information can be found here: http://www.makered.org/making-possibilities/
- Maker Camp: The free, virtual DIY camp for teens from the folks at MAKE and Google+! Maker Camp runs from July 7 - August 15, 2014. Maker Faire Bay Area 2014 will kick-off this year's Maker Camp experience. Schools, community centers, libraries, and the like can register to be an affiliate site by visiting http://makercamp.com.
Tickets are on sale now for Maker Faire Bay Area 2014 at http://makerfairebayarea2014.eventbrite.com at advance pricing. Advance ticket sales ($17.50 - $32.50 for a full day pass) take place between March 17 and May 16. Tickets can also be purchased on-site at Maker Faire Bay Area 2014 on May 17 and 18, 2014 ($25.00 - $40.00 for a full day pass).
About Maker Faire
Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth -- a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker Movement. It's a place where people of all ages and backgrounds gather together to show what they are making and share what they are learning.
Maker Faire celebrated 100 Faires in 2013 alone and has reached over 1.5 million attendees globally since it launched in San Mateo, California, in 2006, less than a year after the publication of the first MAKE Magazine in 2005. The eighth annual Maker Faire Bay Area welcomed some 950 makers and 120,000 attendees. World Maker Faire New York, the other flagship event, has grown in four years to 600+ makers and 75,000 attendees. Detroit, Kansas City, Rome, Oslo, Newcastle (UK), Tokyo and Shenzhen host our "featured" Maker Faires (200+ makers), and community-driven, independently organized Mini Maker Faires inspire and ignite creative communities everywhere around the United States and internationally.
Located in Sebastopol, California, Maker Media has been widely credited with jumpstarting the worldwide Maker Movement, which has been a transforming force in innovation, culture, and education. In addition to publishing MAKE Magazine and producing Maker Faire, Maker Media develops "getting started" kits and books it sells through its Maker Shed store as well as other retail channels.
Calendar Editors
A celebration of DIY culture, Maker Faire Bay Area 2014 runs Saturday-Sunday, May 17-18, at the San Mateo County Event Center, 1346 Saratoga Drive, San Mateo, CA. Saturday, 10 am to 8 pm; Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm. $17.50 - $40.00; ages 3 and under are free.
www.makerfaire.com. To purchase tickets, including weekend passes:
http://makerfairebayarea2014.eventbrite.com.
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