Learning Network
The MakerUSA Learning Network is a national community of practice comprised of 34 leading institutions and organizations across 20 states.
MakerUSA 2022-2023 Learning Network Members
These leading institutions and organizations were selected based on their unique expertise, leadership and community goals. MakerUSA aims to expand the Learning Network in 2023.
-
California
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor (San Pedro, CA)
Cabrillo College (Aptos, CA)
Folsom Lake College (Folsom, CA)
Krause Center for Innovation at Foothill College (Los Altos Hills, CA)
Moreno Valley College (Moreno Valley, CA)
Norco College (Norco, CA)
Riverside City College (Riverside, CA)
Sacramento City College (Sacramento, CA)
West Los Angeles College (Culver City (Los Angeles), CA)
Colorado
Pinhead Institute (Southwest Region, CO)
Connecticut
Operation Pathways (Stamford, CT + Washington D.C.)
Florida
Pan African Cultural Institute (Pensacola, FL + multi-state ecosystem)
Tallahassee Community College (Tallahassee, FL)
Georgia
STE(A)M Truck (Decatur, GA)
Idaho
Idaho STEM Action Center (Boise, ID + state-wide ecosystem)
Louisiana
Xavier University of Louisiana Library (New Orleans, LA)
Maryland
Coppin State University, (Baltimore, MD)
Open Works (Baltimore, MD + state-wide ecosystem)
North Carolina
Forward Cities (Durham, NC + national)
Nebraska
Northeast Community College (Norfolk, NE)
New Hampshire
MAXT Makerspace (Peterborough, NH)
New Mexico
Navajo Technical University (Crownpoint, NM)
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (Socorro, NM)
New York
Rockland Community College (SUNY) (Suffern, NY)
Ohio
Greater Cincinnati STEM Collaborative (Cincinnati, OH)
Mantles and Makers (Cleveland, OH)
Oklahoma
Fab Lab Tulsa (Tulsa, OK)
Pennsylvania
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (Harrisburg, PA)
Tennessee
Global Center for Digital Innovation (Chattanooga, TN)
Public Education Foundation (Chattanooga, TN)
Tennessee College of Applied Technology Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
Virgina
Patrick & Henry Community College (Martinsville, VA)
Wyoming
University of Wyoming (Laramie, WY + state-wide ecosystem)
National
Urban Manufacturing Alliance
Member Value
Community Driven
Its members are taking community-driven approaches to supporting maker education and career pathways to “maker” industries. “Maker” industries include fields ranging from advanced manufacturing and biotechnology to computer science and the skilled trades.
Collaborative
The model is designed to facilitate the exchange of resources and ideas, develop new regional collaborations and strengthen social capital across institutions and organizations. The Learning Network also aims to lift up best practices for the wider fields of maker education and workforce development innovation, including entrepreneurship.
Expert-Led Programming
Programming for 2022-23 includes a combination of expert-led learning sessions and design discussions, peer-to-peer mentoring and 1:1 consultation and technical assistance. Based on the direct input of the members, in 2022-23 the Learning Network will focus on the themes of:
Creating stronger workforce pathways for student makers into local industry
Building entrepreneurship pathways for makers
Developing long-term makerspace and maker programming sustainability
Designing inclusive, community-driven makerspaces and maker programs
No Cost to the Institution
The Learning Network is implemented at no-cost to its members and is made possible through the generous support of MakerUSA funders, including Founding Sponsors Arconic Foundation and Genentech.
“We are extremely honored to have been selected as one of just a handful of organizations across the nation to join the inaugural cohort of the MakerUSA Learning Network. The Learning Network will help us further our efforts in creating the best possible learning environment for our students.”
— Dr. Kimberly A. Moore, Vice President for Workforce Innovation, Tallahassee Community College
