New subject: FW: The White House Announces a Week of Making this June 12-18

9 Apr 2015

Does someone at Noisebridge and/or Sudo Room want to be part of the National Week of
Making?

If so, there's a link at the bottom of the email from the White House (copied below),
but which I'll add here, too:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/nation-of-makers

I think it would be really cool to be "officially" involved.  But there are two
things that make me uncomfortable:
     1)  "STEM" is a term created by the US military -- it leaves out the very
important "A", which many have added to make it more relevant, and moves things
away from the military:  STEAM
     2)  There is involvement from various government agencies, many of which are cool,
but one of which is: Department of Homeland Security.

Best,
Mitch.

      -------- Forwarded Message --------

            Subject:

            The White House Announces a Week of Making this June
              12-18

            Date: 
            Thu, 9 Apr 2015 17:07:12 +0000

            From: 
            Santoso, Stephanie
              &lt;Stephanie_M_Santoso(a)ostp.eop.gov&gt;

            To: 
            Mitch Altman

        Hi All,

        I wanted to make sure that you saw the
          following exciting news about the Week of Making and the
          National Maker Faire!

        Announcing a Week of Making
              this June 12-18

        By Tom Kalil and Stephanie
              Santoso

        Last year, on June 18,
            President Obama hosted the first-ever
          White House Maker Faire and 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 democratizing the tools and skills
            necessary to design and make just about anything,
            Maker-related events and activities can inspire more people
            to pursue careers in design, advanced manufacturing, and the
            related fields of science, technology, engineering and
            mathematics (STEM) and possibly take their creations to the
            next level and become entrepreneurs.

        Today, in preparation of the
            one-year anniversary of last year’s Faire, we are excited to
            announce that the White House will celebrate a “Week of
            Making” this summer from June 12-18. The Week will coincide
            with the National Maker Faire here in D.C., featuring makers
            from across the country and will include participation by
            federal agencies including: the Department of Education,
            National Science Foundation, U.S. Agency for International
            Development, U.S. Small Business Administration, Institute
            of Museum and Library Services, National Institute of
            Standards and Technology, NASA, Corporation for National and
            Community Service, Department of Homeland Security and the
            Smithsonian.

        At last year’s Faire,
            President Obama welcomed people of all ages who are
            funneling their ingenuity into amazing projects, developing
            creative solutions to important problems and bringing their
            innovations to market. He met Lindsay Lawlor, who built a
            17-foot, talking robotic giraffe named Russell, and he met
            teenage sisters Camille and Genevieve Betty, whose motto is
            “Who needs a paper route when you can start your own
            robotics company?” He talked to entrepreneurs such as Marc
            Roth, who was homeless in San Francisco before taking
            classes in design and prototyping at a digital fabrication
            studio and maker space. After only several months of
            classes, Marc was able to open his own custom laser-cutting
            business.  As the President put it, “Today’s D.I.Y is
            tomorrow’s Made in America.”

        Lindsay Lawlor introduces
              President Obama to Russell, the Electric Giraffe at last
              year’s White House Maker Faire. (Photo Credit: Pete
              Souza).

        The President announced a
            large number of
          commitments made by the Federal
            government, mayors, educational institutions, companies, and
            non-profit organizations to expand opportunities for
            engaging students STEM through making, supporting makers who
            want to become entrepreneurs and make it easier for
            individuals to learn 21st century design and
            fabrication skills around the country. Twenty-one Federal
            agencies committed a suite of services for people interested
            in engineering and manufacturing, including expanded access
            to start-up grants, making it easier for makers to
            manufacture their products domestically, and business
            mentoring and training. More than 150 colleges and
            universities, over 125 libraries and more than 90 mayors
            pledged to take steps to help advance making in the United
            States.

        To continue to expand upon
            this effort, here are some ways that you or your
            organization can help:

        ·        
              Individuals can volunteer to
            mentor and share their skills by hosting workshops or
            classes in areas of their community that have fewer
            opportunities for designing, developing and prototyping
            projects.

          ·        
              K-12 school districts can
            create opportunities for
          interactive, hands-on STEM
              learning in and outside of the
            classroom. Schools can also establish maker spaces to
            empower students to design and build, and solve real-world
            problems.

          ·        
              Colleges and universities can
            establish
          on-campus spaces that are accessible to
            students, faculty and the broader local community to tinker,
            design, build and invent. They can share best practices with
            other educational institutions through
          networks and communities of
              practice.

        ·        
              Companies can encourage
            making in their community through design and engineering and
            help
          designers, inventors and
              other aspiring entrepreneurs create American jobs by
            navigating the transition from prototyping to manufacturing.

          ·        
              Mayors can join the
          Mayors Maker Challenge and encourage companies,
            foundations, non-profits, schools, libraries and museums to
            get involved with product development and manufacturing.
            Local leaders can also back initiatives that make it easier
            for entrepreneurs to manufacture their products locally.

        And no matter who you are,
            you can get involved by hosting an event, workshop or
            activity during the Week of Making in your community or
            submit your project for the National Maker Faire.

        By working together, we can
            provide every child and adult in America with the tools,
            technologies and resources they need to be part of the
            creative process and invent, create, and make a better,
            stronger, and more innovative future.

        If you or your organization
            has plans to support students, inventors, designers,
            builders and other makers in your community, let us know by
            completing this
          form. We look forward to
            announcing progress on the President’s call to action during
            the Week of Making. You may also contact us at maker(a)ostp.gov.

        Tom Kalil is Deputy Director for
              Technology and Innovation at the White House Office of
              Science and Technology Policy.

        Stephanie Santoso is Senior Advisor
              for Making at the White House Office of Science and
              Technology Policy.

        Stephanie Santoso
        Senior Policy Advisor for Making
        White House Office of Science and
          Technology Policy
        ssantoso(a)ostp.eop.gov