In the summer of 2016, a group of 5 parents met and dreamt up an event to raise funds for maker-related programs and equipment for our school. They called it the Maker Mission…
What is ‘Maker’? Maker emphasizes learning through doing and often involves basic things like a motor, battery and switch. It includes activities such as circuit building, electronics, robotics, 3D printing, metal, woodworking, art, sewing and more. These types of activities encourage students to explore science, technology, engineering, art and math in a fun and creative way. It’s really taking off in schools across the country.
During the Maker Mission event, students had the chance to go through 5 Maker Mission stations with their class:
- Button Making
- Spin Art Machines
- Bike Blender smoothies
- Catapults
- Stamp making
The Maker Mission turned out to be a HUGE success thanks to the support of our Principal and Vice Principal, our enthusiastic teachers, helpful grade 8 students and our many generous parent volunteers!
We raised $9,000 and ALL proceeds are going back to our students for maker-related activities. Specifically, the funds will be allocated as follows:
- Maker Space to be housed in the school library for all students to build and create and make things they dream up.
- Our very own 3D printer! Plus a dedicated computer and software!
- Hands-on maker workshops for every class at our school!
We’re also happy to report that teachers were really impressed and for some, it introduced them to basic maker-related activities. Many were excited and inspired to try out some maker-related activities in their own classrooms. We’re glad we could offer some inspiration!
The BEST part was that the students LOVED the event! This was the biggest reward for the planning committee.
We plan to run the Maker Mission again next year, perhaps with different activities or a slightly different twist. We’d love to hear from you if you have ideas, resources or connections to anything maker-related or are keen to get on board the committee. E-mail us at chair@roden.ca.
Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to raise funds for the Maker Mission. Your support and enthusiasm are appreciated and in return, we’re working hard to create exciting learning opportunities for our students.
Some resources for Maker related information:
http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/using-the- library/computer-services/innovation-spaces/community- spaces.jsp
Note: we are not endorsing any of the above links, but simply providing some resources should you be interested in learning more about maker culture.