Makers Sin Fronteras

Jill Katzenberger has STEAM programming down to, well, a science. Also an art. After nearly 20 years of orchestrating engaging experiences in science, technology, engineering, art, and math, Jill lives to “increase the units of wonder and the moments of wow in the world, one child at a time.” Us too! (We count the children who have “grown up” as well.)

Her big idea for pandemic play with a purpose is “Makers Without Borders — Makers Sin Fronteras,” bilingual STEAM activities for dozens of Latino immigrant families with children staying at home while school schedules are in flux. She’ll partner with Centro Latino Americano para las Artes, Ciencia y Educacion (CLACE) to identify the homes where students age 6-12 would enjoy receiving at-home kits enabling them to make cool stuff. The maker kits will be sent with instructions as well as links to tutorial videos, all in English and Spanish. The projects might include balloon powered cars, tissue paper kites, and LED paper lanterns, creations that will help students explore concepts like gravity and lift. Jill hopes to reach families who came to the US from Guatemala and are currently in Colorado for whom bilingual science education is important (and underfunded). We support her work to inspire more children from underrepresented groups to think about careers in STEAM fields.

Participating families feel proud! (And we imagine they will also be a tiny bit relieved to let someone else handle the science lesson.)

The AWB grant will cover the design and production of the maker kits, including project materials, instructional resources, Spanish translation, and shipping.

Learn more about Jill’s work here and then go increase your own “units of wonder and moments of wow.”