Sonoma County Maker Certificate Program recognized by White House

06/12/2015 - Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Steve Herrington is among 100 guests at today’s kick-off event for the White House’s Week of Making, June 12-18. He joins Dr. Carlos Ayala, dean of the Sonoma State University’s School of Education, and Dr. Jessica Parker, SSU School of Education associate professor, in representing the SCOE-SSU partnership that led to the development of the Maker Certificate Program, the first program of its kind. The goal of this joint venture is to prepare educators and other individuals to lead Maker activities for students.

This is the second year that President Obama has hosted Maker events at the White House. In 2014, he issued a call to action that “every company, every college, every community, every citizen joins us as we lift up makers and builders and doers across the country.” By focusing on Maker-related events and activities, schools and communities can inspire young people to pursue careers in design, advanced manufacturing, and the related fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

SCOE has actively supported Maker activities in Sonoma County schools by hosting training events and adding an experienced Make educator to its staff. A five-day “Making to Learn” training institute is being held at SCOE this week to help teachers connect the Maker Movement to the Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards and to build teacher expertise in providing instruction based on 21st century skills. By providing innovative professional development opportunities like this, SCOE is supporting Sonoma County school districts in ensuring that all students graduate from high school ready to succeed in college and careers.