SAN FRANCISCO — In a different era, schools had woodshop and sewing classes. Now, there are makerspaces.
These creative, collaborative spaces where kids can build or create their own designs, patterns and machines using an assortment of tools — hammers, circuits, video — are being replicated across the country thanks to a $750,000 grant from the Education Department and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
The grants have propelled institutions like the Tinkering Studio, a makerspace in San Francisco’s Exploratorium science museum, to spread new models of learning and professional development across the country. Kids from K-12 schools can do anything, from creating stop-motion animation to wiring robots.
“The idea is in the thought and curiosity they have through making,” said Meg Escudé, director of community youth programs for the studio. Learning how…
