It’s weird where life takes you. It’s also weird when at the age of 51 (don’t tell anyone, okay, really 52 in June), that you feel like you have found your purpose.
I honestly never thought that I would be involved in education. I truly never believed that the education I would be involved in STEAM Education. Because, honestly, when this journey began, I legit had no idea what STEAM Education was.
This whole journey started when my husband Michael and his friend Frank started Maker Depot. The whole idea of a makerspace was completely foreign to me. Wasn’t sure it would succeed. I thought no one would understand the purpose, and what they were doing.
I was half right and half wrong. A LOT of people did not understand what we were doing, they still don’t. But there were a bunch, a truly amazing bunch, of people who got it.
When Maker Depot Academy started, I was not involved all that much. I was around, slowly learning about making, getting to know the community, and falling in love with it.
When Covid hit and everything changed, we had no idea what we were going to do. Our makerspace closed, schools were not the same, and we were not sure what would happen to the Academy.
So, with us being home, and the kids in school remotely, everything with the Academy was put on pause.
Our youngest two are special needs. Our middle son has a 504, and our daughter has an IEP. To say that schooling was a challenge, is an understatement. Especially with our son.
The longer everything went on, the harder it got. I was seeing first-hand how much being home, and away from school, was affecting students. All the moms I talked to were going through the same thing.
What was interesting, was our daughter, the one with the IEP, was thriving. My son with the 504, was suffering.
There were no more after school activities, no social interaction. For kids with special needs, kids in general, it was torture.
That is when we started talking about reviving Maker Depot Academy.
Michael was seeing how important it was for the hands-on side. I was seeing the whole emotional/mental health side.
What is better for a person’s mental health than making an effort to do something, and then see it accomplished before their own eyes? Even the smallest accomplishments and creations can contribute to a person’s wellbeing.
This is the goal of our mobile space. Bringing the tools to you, and helping you find that spark of imagination to bring things to life.