An update on the Vermont MakerSchools program

WILLISTON, Vt. (WCAX) – $365,000 from the U.S. Department of Education is going to the Vermont MakerSchools initiative, and Williston Central School is one of six Vermont schools in the program.

They have already had a makerspace room and required class for a few years, so we took a peak to see what it could look like in schools across the state.

Makerspaces are rooms where high tech and craft tools are used to explore and create products, like using a 3D printer. The goal is to encourage students to get involved in science, tech, engineering, and math education with the goal of them exploring workforce development in manufacturing and prototyping.

“We have everything from woodworking to circuitry to laser cutting to 3D printing to just hands on making. Our goal is every student third through eighth grade, and we have 750 students here, is to give them experience making,” said Design tech teacher Allan Miller.

Miller also hopes to do more electrification projects this year and to serve as a model for the other five schools to develop a space program.

“They can look at what we have here, and I can look at what they have there. We can learn together. This is building community of makers as adults and teachers,” said Miller.

The statewide program is launched by a makerspace organization called Generator that also aims to build opportunities for high school graduates. Generator created a dedicated space at their Burlington studio with laser cutters and 3D printers galore to serve as a model classroom for educators.

“In some cases, we are also welcoming principals or facility staff to come in and get trained on 3D printers, sewing machines, laser cutters, vinyl cutters,” said Meg Hammond of Generator.

They say creating can be enjoyed by all, and its never too late to learn. “The teacher program is going to be opened up to the public, so anyone can use a professional development dollars to come to generator and learn how to use any of these toolsets and increase their curriculum development,” said Hammond.

Miller says with tinkering comes problem solving, which can have real-life implications for students when they encounter problems.

“Human beings create them, human beings can solve them. To me, it starts with Lego, you just build with LEGO that you build with circuits, then you learn to run the machinery and you go from there,” said Miller.

This program is going three years strong, and Hammond tells us they plan to review how it went statewide with educators and continue to support programming in the state.

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