“It doesn’t necessarily have to be learning from a book, it can be learning by doing, “said media specialist Brian Christopherson. “We’ve got a space for you to do that right here, right next to the library.” And that space is used by kids to explore new topics and learn new things. “They can be making stuff with and creating with more high-tech stuff – robotics, coding, or they might take some stuff that would otherwise have been recycled: toilet paper, paper towel tubes, old cereal boxes.” Brian shares some of the student’s projects on his Twitter page. Part of the idea behind maker’s spaces is recognizing that not all kids learn in the same ways, and creating places where hands on learners can excel. Sunrise Elementary was a new school this year, and the district was able to work this space into the school design. Brian admits that a fair amount of cereal boxes come directly from his house, and wrapping paper and boxes are brought in by several teachers. “But when it comes to the more high-tech items, that’s when funding becomes necessary,” said Christopherson. Part of that funding was provided by the Anoka Hennepin Educational Foundation, a non-profit that provides grants for equitable and innovative experiences for students. “We’ve looked at opportunities like makers spaces as a way to pilot this creative new hands-on approach to learning in a more traditional library setting,” said Tess DeGeest, executive director of the Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation. The foundation also donated money for a maker’s space at Ramsey Elementary school this year, saying that this is a great way to provide learning opportunities to many students. “It’s a great way to leverage new kinds of learning with new tools for learning, and so our board has said ‘Wow, you know we’re really looking at trying to bring more innovation to the district, and this is what our teachers are saying they would like to have, that it’s a natural confluence for the foundation in terms of allocating donor resources,’” said DeGeest. At the hope is, that the learning in the maker’s space will also be able to extend to other parts of life. “Trying and failing is definitely something, if you are in the maker’s space a lot, you need to be okay with,” said Christopherson. In addition to funding maker’s spaces, a few of the largest grants provided by the Anoka Hennepin Educational Foundation go towards social emotional learning in ECFE, and giving high schools money to pay for the athletic and activity fees for families who couldn’t otherwise participate. The Anoka Hennepin Educational Foundation is getting ready for their biggest fundraiser of the year. It’s called the Northern Stars Celebration and it includes dinner, entertainment, silent auction, live auction and more. This year’s live auction includes a trip to the national zoo in Washington DC, tickets to next year’s NHL Winter Classic, and a trip to Las Vegas. The event will be on Feb. 8 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Bunker Hills Event Center. You can buy tickets to the celebration here.
MAKER’S SPACES ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY IN SCHOOLS
BLAINE, MINN – (Jan. 24, 2020) – Inside the library at Sunrise Elementary school, there’s more than just books. There is also a maker’s space, where students can learn about art, robotics, coding and more.
