The New York Hall of Science is located in the most diverse neighborhood in the nation, offering a case study on the role of making and broad public access.

Members of the NYSCI education division sat down with us to think about their transition to maker-style activities in support of STEM learning. The museum’s Makerspace facility works in a wide range of materials and media, from cardboard and glue guns to audio recording and video editing software.

In 2010, NYSCI hosted the first World Maker Faire on the grounds of the museum in Queens, followed by a conference titled “Innovation, Education and the Maker Movement,” which considered the role of making in a national policy agenda. They hosted a second conference in 2012, “Design-Make-Play: Growing the Next Generation of Science Innovators,” that continues to cast a vision for the role leaders might play in local schools, community centers, universities, and the tech industry.