The DOE, the Makerspace Challenge and you (if you act now!)

For those of you secondary school folks planning, or planning to enhance, makerspaces in your libraries, check out the news from the White House and act before the April 1st deadline!

A press release shared that Acting Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. asked that Congress to reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, which provides more than $1.1 billion for the nation’s career and technical education programs in grades 7-12 and also in post-secondary institutions.

Perhaps more urgently, it also announced the launch of Career Technical Education (CTE) Makeover Challenge, making available $200,000 in funding and in-kind prizes across ten selected projects.

Sign up now for the informational webinar to be held on March 17th.  The deadline for first round submissions is April 1st.

Here’s the call to action, as well as an excellent opportunity for all eligible schools to attend CTE Makeover Bootcamp:

The Career Technical Education (CTE) Makeover Challenge calls upon eligible schools to design models of makerspaces that strengthen career and technical skills through making. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is seeking models of makerspaces across a wide range of facility types, such as classrooms, libraries, and mobile spaces, that it can share with educators to encourage the creation of affordable, scalable, and replicable makerspaces.

Eligible entrants who complete the First Round Submission will be invited to participate in the CTE Makeover Bootcamp. During the Bootcamp, schools will have access to resources that will help them improve and expand upon their proposed makerspace concepts.

Schools are invited to submit a design for a CTE makerspace that will provide students the materials and environment they need to create, invent, tinker, and explore, helping them build vital career skills, including critical thinking, planning, communication, and problem solving.

I so hope our libraries make a strong showing in the selected group of effective, model, replicable projects.

You may also be interested in:

Maker Promise (Digital Promise): with form for principals, district leadership, civic leaders, and others to sign up and make the promise . . .

Makerpromise.org: the national campaign asking school leaders to make a concrete commitment to:

Dedicate a space for making

Designate a champion of making

Display what your students make

Second Annual National Maker Faire: Planned for June 18-19, 2016, the free, family-friendly DC event kick off a . . .

WeekofMaking.org (June 17-23): an event that will highlight the diversity of Makers big and small, young and old, urban and rural . . . an opportunity for individuals in communities throughout the U.S. to participate in Making activities locally, celebrating the innovation, ingenuity and creativity of Makers.

Filed under: makerspaces