Dc Mini Maker Faire

We don’t usually just put up press releases here at The DC Moms, but I know I can’t be the only mom excited to take her kids to the Mini Maker Faire this Sunday! If you’re interested in going, the Faire is June 8th, 11 AM – 7 PM at Yards Park and Ideaspace DC, 355 Water Street SE. I hope to see some of your families there, getting excited about STEM! The event is free, and you can get your free tickets at makerfairedc.eventbrite.com

The inaugural DC Mini Maker Faire, initiated and led by members of the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowships MaDTECHEd affinity group, will be a unique, open-to-everyone celebration of the Maker movement held on Sunday, June 8, 2014. The DC Mini Maker Faire was envisioned as a way to Show (and Tell) the world what DC M​akers have to offer, and includes support from MAKE, LEGO, Intel, Revolution X Design, Ideaspace DC, The Capitol Riverfront, Digital DC, ShopBot, and local Makers.

Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with everything from lasers, electronic instruments, and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) 3D printers to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) kits, crafting activities, and homemade robots. The Faire will showcase local, grassroots inventions from individuals and organizations, including federal and local government, non-profits, academia,​ and industry.

Confirmed Makers/ Attendees

Individuals, including:

  • Joey Hudy, 17-year-old maker and Intel intern,  known for his marshmallow-shooting cannon at the 2012 White House Science Fair
  • MAKE’s Maker Mom, Julie Hudy, who will answer questions about parenting a young Maker
  • Brian Jacoby, and his 40 foot bamboo Quetzalcoatlus pterosaur (pterodactyl)
  • Katelyn Schreyer, who will teach participants Bobbin lacemaking: how lace was made, pre-industrial revolution
  • PicassoBot, the portrait -sketching robot
  • Robert Bridges and Bill Young, the builders ofShelter 2.0, digitally-fabricated shelters for transitional housing and emergency situations

Industry Partners, including:

  • LEGO®* Junior Makers – Come Play, Make & Share with LEGO® bricks (*Principal Sponsor of the Faire)
  • Intel® Computer Clubhouse Network – Learn more about this international community of 100 Clubhouses located in 20 countries that has been providing youth with life-changing opportunities for over 20 years.
  • KEVA construction precision cut wood planks – Come build sculptures with KEVA planks
  • Tiny Circuits – Come see and play with TinyDuino – The Tiny Arduino Compatible Platform w/ Shields
  • Harris Educational – Come “retrace the steps of the great inventors” with Harris Educational

Government, including:

  • Representatives from the District of Columbia Mayor’s Office
  • Representatives  from Digital DC, an economic development initiative supporting technology and innovation
  • Representatives from the Studio, a Performance Improvement Council living lab that brings together federal staff for open dialogue and cross-agency collaboration
  • The Ideation Community of Practice, a network of over 200 federal innovators from more than 25 different agencies, focused on government ideation and engagement
  • A coalition of technologists and Maker enthusiasts from federal agencies and local government

Local Maker and Hacker Spaces, including:

  • Baltimore Node Hackerspace, a member-run hackerspace in Baltimore City
  • Club125, the Greenbelt Makerspace and host of the Greenbelt Mini Maker Faire
  • Ideaspace DC – founded in our nation’s capitol, and co-hosts of the DC Mini Maker Faire, Ideaspace DC is a combination of makerspace, collaboration lounge, project garages, classrooms, and event venue…all under one roof.  A place where DC’s thinkers, makers and doers come together to be inspired, learn, collaborate and build
  • The Digital Harbor Foundation, who transformed the closed-down South Baltimore Rec Center into a vibrant youth maker space
  • Fab Lab DC, a high-tech fabrication space in the heart of DC
  • The New Jersey Makerspace Association, the first statewide makerspace association in the country
  • Spanning Tree, a new hackerspace devoted to creating “a feminist community workshop where members can work on projects in a comfortable, welcoming environment”
  • TechShop DC, a local (Arlington, VA) DIY makerspace

Museums, including:

  • The KID Museum  – come to the cardboard construction area where visitors can contribute to a large collaborative installation
  • Koshland Science Museum – come learn how to build your own paper circuits!

Libraries, including:

  • The DC Public Library – part digital creation space, part fabrication lab, and part co-working space, the DC Public Library’s Digital Commons provides hands-on access and education to emerging technologies, tools, and software

 

Academic Institutions, including:

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