Betty Brinn Children’s Museum Launches Summer Offerings for Project-based Learning during National Week of Making

MILWAUKEE, WI – (June 15, 2017) To celebrate the National Week of Making, June 16-22, 2017, the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum announces programs and activities for children and adults this summer that promote project-based learning.

Making is transforming education at all levels, and the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum’s Maker Initiatives promote STEAM-based (science, technology, engineering, arts/design, and math) education and support Milwaukee’s long-term economic and workforce development. The Initiatives include year-round maker programs for families and students, professional development resources for educators looking to integrate making and STEAM-based learning in the classroom, consulting services for schools, libraries, and other facilities looking to establish makerspaces, and the annual production of Maker Faire^© Milwaukee, the largest free event of its kind in the nation, which is independently organized and operated under a license from Maker Media, Inc.

Museum Maker Programs for Families

• Be A Maker Space Open Making: The Museum’s Be A Maker communal workshop welcomes young children, families and groups to explore science, technology, engineering, arts and math by working on a broad range of do-it-yourself projects. Open Making times at the Museum are Monday-Friday, 10:30 a.m.-noon and 2-4 p.m. and Saturday, 2-4 p.m. The BAM Urban Garden is also open to visitors during Open Making hours, weather permitting.
• Be A Maker Summer Camps: The Museum offers half-day summer camp programs for children age 7 and older in the Be A Maker space, beginning with Photography: The Power of the Sun on June 20. Each month will feature different STEAM-focused topics including Photography in June, Printmaking in July and 3D Printing in August. Registration is now open, space is limited and age restrictions apply.
• Be A Maker Field Trips: Schools, childcare centers and organized groups can register for a Museum field trip and a facilitated maker program led by educators in the Museum’s Be A Maker Each DIY workshop challenges participants to engage their critical thinking, use creative problem solving and work together.
• Solar Science on July 15, 2017, 2-4 p.m.: This Explore Science Earth & Space event at BBCM is a part of a nationwide celebration of educational programs, developed by the National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE). The Solar Science program will include exciting science experiments for kids, take-home materials and interactive demonstrations about the solar system, the stars and the Earth beneath our feet. Solar Science programming is free with regular admission to the Museum.

Museum Maker Programs for Educators and Adults

• Educator Meet-Ups on June 29, 5-6 p.m. at Marquette University and July 27, 5-6 p.m. at the Museum: Teachers, administrators and others in the education field are invited to join the Museum’s Making in Education Community of Practice (COP). The COP serves as an opportunity to share ways of implementing STEAM activities into educational settings. Educator Meet-Ups include hands-on workshops and open discussions in an effort to share resources, promote the Maker Initiative and support professional development. Educator Meet-Ups are free to the public, registration is required.
• MakeShift: Mashups II on July 27, 6-8 p.m.: MakeShift is an adults-only event series hosted by the Museum. Participants can come to learn new skills, experiment with tools and technology and meet creative people. Mashups II will focus on all things fermentation including home-brew beer, fermented food and more. Tickets are $10 each and include adult beverages and snacks.

About the National Week of Making

The National Week of Making was established in 2014 by President Obama and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Events and programs are designed to raise awareness about the growth of the global Maker Movement, and to inspire American innovation, ingenuity and creativity. The 2017 National Week of Making is organized by Nation of Makers, a new independent, non-profit organization that is working with leaders from the maker community in all 50 states — makerspaces, schools, companies, libraries, local government, and economic development agencies – to support, encourage, promote, and highlight organizations working to create more opportunities for more people of all ages to make.

The Betty Brinn Children’s Museum represents Wisconsin in Nation of Makers initiatives, including 2016 meetings at the White House to form regional and national resource networks for individuals and organizations to become part of the global maker community.

About the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum and Milwaukee Makerspace

Milwaukee’s Betty Brinn Children’s Museum serves 240,000 children and adults annually and provides year-round maker programs in its Be A Maker space, a communal workshop environment that invites visitors to explore a broad range of projects using a variety of materials, tools, digital resources and technologies that encourage children to experiment, learn new skills and share their accomplishments.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.

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