Time: 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM
Abstract:
Design & Innovation Studios prepare students to become tomorrow’s industry leaders. In this interactive, face-to-face session, learn how to implement immersive, intentional, collaborative STEM spaces that combine best-in-class educational technologies with project-based learning
opportunities. Meet two education leaders who are using Design & Innovation Studios to create a competitive manufacturing ecosystem for rural and urban schools across the country.
Outline:
Indiana Manufacturing Competitiveness Center (IN-MaC) connects resources and industry expertise to build relationships between workforce education, technology integration, and manufacturing research. Hosted by Purdue University, INMaC and its partners seek to address shortages of trained workers capable of filling manufacturing and industry positions, adopting educational technologies and practices throughout the educational process, and applications to strengthen the manufacturing ecosystem.
One of IN-MaC’s key outreach areas is design and innovation studios. These collaborative STEM spaces are developed in leading manufacturing companies as well as local schools. Examples of industry partnerships include Subaru, Toyota, and Honda. Students work both in their school studio and then travel to one of the IN-MaC partner studios to tour the floor and then work in the studio to practice real-world manufacturing skills.
IN-MaC has partnered with STEM Education Works to carefully select a cross-section of robots and robotic arms, 3D printers, microcontrollers, and circuits. A project-based, standards aligned curriculum pairs with the educational technologies to teach students engineering design skills, problem solving, and critical thinking.
In this session, attendees will learn about the process of studio design and forming local industry partnerships. They will hear from the Education & Workforce Development Director as she describes her research into the impact of early STEM experiences on perceptions of manufacturing careers. Finally, attendees will see examples of technologies they can
incorporate into their own design spaces, as well as samples of curriculum currently being used in IN-MaC studios.