About our Makerspace

Our Makerspace has been made possible through the Iowa Governor’s STEM Scale-Up program. The program is called Making STEM Connections and was developed by the Science Center of Iowa.  

Our Maker journey aims to provide students the opportunity to design and build products based on their own questions and understanding. The Making STEM Connections (MSC) program is designed to immerse students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) through tinkering, problem solving and experiential learning. Students will have the opportunity to work with varying materials and pieces of equipment contained in the MSC kit.

The making philosophy directs students to use their hands in conjunction with their minds to produce meaningful learning outcomes. In the book Invent to Learn, Silvia Libow explains why tinkering is a mindset for learning. “When we allow children to experiment, take risks, and play with their own ideas, we give them permission to trust themselves. They begin to see themselves as learners that have good ideas and can transform their own ideas into a reality.”  

Safety is a top priority and extremely important in the making process. Students will follow safety procedures outlined in the MSC program including the use of the 3 C’s: Caution and Communication when they’re unfamiliar with an item, which in time, builds their Confidence.  

The purpose of making as a learning technique is summed up by Dale Dougherty, Chairman of Maker Education Initiative, "It is the difference between a child who is directed to perform a task and one who is self-directed to figure out what to do.”