Education Today Education Today Magazine
The Midlands Maker Challenge is a fantastic STEAM* powered opportunity for design, discovery and making, taking place at the inspirational Museum of Making in Derby and in schools with digital resources and making materials.
Inspiring young makers
The challenge is aimed at teams of young people aged 13-16, 15-18 and 16-21. Each challenge runs for eight weeks throughout the 2022/23 academic year and uses a person-centred approach, encouraging collaboration, teamwork, skills development and creativity.
Exploring climate change
The Climate (in)Action challenge has been developed in response to young people’s climate change concerns. It allows them to connect their passions and skills in a way that is relevant to them and allows them to actively take part in changemaking for their future.
Collaborating With people
Whether their idea will be used by an individual, a group of people or even a community or place, they learn to empathise and understand, helping them to create meaningful solutions with the potential for positive change..
Learning from the past
Each challenge launches with a context day at the Museum of Making in Derby, using the collections, mentors and museum staff to inspire and excite the teams to get making! The day sets the scene for the challenge, which continues back in schools using Canvas; Derby Museums’ digital learning platform.
Mentoring support
Teams will be supported by a mentor throughout the challenge. The mentors come with a wealth of skills, developed by working and studying in different sectors, and function as critical friend, sounding board, and advisors for the teams.
The Midlands Maker Challenge is FREE to participating schools in the Midlands’, thanks to a generous donation from engineering company IMI plc to build on the Midlands’ position as a centre of innovation
Find out more about taking part at: midlandsmakerchallenge.org
*STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and maths)
