By Anna Skinner
After spending 20 years in public education as a business and technology teacher, Carolee Tremain had a vision to teach kids without being so test driven. That led her to create a nonprofit, Maker Navigator, last year, and then build the Innovation Academy that opened in July to give kids a place to experiment.
“Over 20 years we have become so test driven in class … they’re doing a great job in schools, but the bell rings. You teach them the concepts and the bell rings, it’s time to go,” Tremain said. “(Kids) need a place they can just experiment and explore. They need access to not only the most modern technology, but basically to the skills to empower them to know to create whatever they want. The goal is to stimulate innovation.”
Tremain’s Maker Navigator offers multiple workshops at the Innovation Academy, 10080 E. 121st St., Suite 115, including 3-D printing, programming, circuits, textiles and more. The age group ranges from grades K-8.
“It is hands on, minds on, but it is fun,” she said. “We make what they’re learning in school practical. I’ve developed a systematic approach to instructional design for innovation where we do set the stage and we coach them.”
Tremain said the workshops even offer a “best fail” award to those kids who learn by trial and error.
“With kids now, if they fail on a test, that’s so negative, it crushes their soul and that’s their final try,” she said. “We don’t confuse setting kids up for success with not letting them fail.”
Tremain also has a traveling makerspace that visits schools and libraries. For more, visit mniacademy.org.
