Monthly Newsletter – May 2023

The weather is heating up, and so is our passion for STEM! It’s time to get even more hands-on and creative during this month’s National Week of Making. From May 16-22, everyone is encouraged to explore STEM, art, and design by innovating to create new solutions and gain new skills. Keep reading to get inspiration on how to get started!

Our Latest Blog Posts

• Winning the Grant: Tips for Crafting a Successful Proposal
• Get Your Grant, Part 1 – Finding Your Grant
• Getting Hyped for Hydrogen Fuel Cells
• How Can AI Help Teachers? An Interview with ChatGPT

Free Maker Resources You’ll Love

You will be surprised how much creativity and innovation is in each and every person. Here are some ways to tap into it or share what you have:

• Nation of Makers has a resource library where you can find toolkits, portfolios, ways to find grants, and guides all about making!
• Educator Gretchen Renshaw has created a bank of free maker lessons on coding, circuitry, mechanics, and vehicles!
• Maker Ed has resources such as toolkits and teaching strategies for your own makerspace and getting your students to be innovative.
• Maker Faire has provided a classroom pack of activities, all in one place.

Best Books for Makers

• The Little Red Fort (Little Ruby’s Big Ideas) by Brenda Maier (Author) and Sonia Sánchez (Illustrator)
• Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Barton (Author) and Don Tate (Illustrator)
• Made by Maxine by Ruth Spiro (Author) and Holly Hatam (Illustrator)
• Be a Maker by Katey Howes (Author) and Elizabet Vuković (Illustrator)
• The Broken Bees’ Nest: Beekeeping by Lydia Lukidis (Author) and Andre Ceolin (Illustrator)

Make whatever you want with micro:bit

The micro:bit is a powerhouse of a coding tool, packed with features like programmable buttons, a microphone, a touch sensor, and an accelerometer. Adding a micro:bit kit allows you to make whatever you can imagine. 

Use the Smart City Kit to build an auto irrigation device to save water and time, or use the Smart Coding Kit to automate a rock-paper-scissors game. The Smart Health Kit even provides what you need to build your own hands-free washing device!

Upcoming Events

Damiana will be at the Tennesee STEM Innovation Network (TSIN) Summit. You can visit the STEM Education Works booth from May 16-17 in Nashville and listen to keynote speakers Kantis Simmons, a nationally renowned speaker, former NASA scientist, and author, and Crystal Washington, one of Forbes’ 50 Leading Female Futurists!

Maker Champions to Follow

• Twitter: Nation of Makers – Dedicated to helping makers by supporting maker orgs – through advocacy, the sharing of resources & the building of community w/in the maker movement & beyond.
• Instagram: makerfaire – From tech enthusiasts to crafters to homesteaders to scientists to garage tinkerers, Maker Faire is where novices and experts of all ages come together to show what they’ve made and share what they’ve learned. A community built on curiosity, collaboration, and resourcefulness.
• Twitter: Next Generation Learning Challenges – Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) supports educators and communities that are reimagining public education. #NGLCchat