by Brian O’Halloran

Woodbridge High School, in partnership with Woodbridge Township, is in the second round of a competition to win $20,000 towards revamping the current media center into a makerspace for the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year.

The grant competition, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, is open to all schools who submitted a design for a CTE—Career and Technical Education—makerspace, which, according to www.ctemakeoverchallenge.com, provides students with the materials and environment they need to create, invent, tinker, and explore, helping them build vital career skills, including critical thinking, planning, communication, and problem solving.

When the dust settles, Woodbridge High School hopes to be one of 10 recipients to be awarded “$20,000 in cash and other prizes to turn their vision for a makerspace into a reality,” according to the website’s description of the contest.

If awarded, the $20,000 will be used, according to the school’s vice principal, Mr. Connelly, in three key areas: furniture, technology, and sustainability. Mr. Connelly, accompanied by the Township’s grant writer, Woodbridge High School’s media specialist, and a panel of four teachers and four students, met to discuss how they would like to see the media center transformed into a 21^st century makerspace.

The team’s plan calls for a re-imagining of the space’s layout to create an environment more conducive to collaboration, with new tables, and even couches, for a feel somewhere between an Apple store and a Barnes & Noble.

Since preparing students in STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics—has picked up traction as an educational initiative, schools have looked for new and innovative ways to get students the hands-on experience they need. This is why Career and Technical Education is important, and where the technology aspect of the school’s plan comes into play.

The vision is to create STEM Maker Stations using more hands-on components ranging from LEGO brick systems or K’Nex to programs like Makey Makey, which will enable students to invent through alligator clips. Collaboration and presentation will also be facilitated through the installation of flat screen televisions outfitted with AppleTVs.

Then, there’s the heart of the makerspace: a backroom with a 3D printer, a Silhouette Cameo, sewing machine, and additional STEM materials to allow students to create virtually anything they may need for any project they can think of.

However, having the tools does not equate to knowing how to use them, and that’s why sustainability is the final key area where money will be allocated. Through professional development and seminars conducted by outside experts, the school hopes to train enough staff to facilitate the needs of the students.

To turn these dreams into a reality, Mr. Jeffrey Mayerowitz, the Township’s grant writer, has worked closely with Mr. Connelly and the team to prepare the second round submission, due Sunday, May 22^nd, called “CTE Makeover Bootcamp.” The bootcamp features six lessons that applicants must work through while developing their ideal makerspace.

The U.S. Department of Education intends to announce the winners in June, giving recipients from June through September to implement their design plans, which will then be showcased via a video tour at the World Maker Faire on October 1^st.