The document discusses various opportunities for expanding educational robotics and maker initiatives in Orange County, Florida. It provides links to organizations like MIT, FIRST Robotics, and maker education groups. Key points include exploring inter-school robotics teams through Orange County Public Schools, extending DIY/maker movement courses, and engaging other local stakeholders like the city of Orlando. The document ends by mentioning developing action plans to pursue these opportunities.

1. Mark Lee
July 18, 2013
mlee@alum.mit.edu
Exploring Ideas For The
http://tic.ocls.info/

2. http://web.mit.edu/press/2009/first-alumni-1214.html
MIT and FIRST Robotics have a Strategic Alliance

3. http://www.usfirst.org/aboutus/first-yale-alumni-group-announce-strategic-alliance
Yale Has Also Formed a Strategic Alliance w/FIRST

4. OCPS HS FIRST Teams: Oak Ridge & Colonial
http://www.usfirst.org/whats-going-on/team/FRC/83527
http://www.usfirst.org/whats-going-on/team/FRC/83695

5. http://makermedia.com/about-us/making-in-education/
Maker Education Initiative Encourages STEAM

6. The Maker Education Initiative has launched the Maker
Corps program to address the need for personalized support
and expertise in introducing maker-oriented exaperiences in
existing educational programs across the nation.
http://makered.org/makercorps/
GOALS OF THE MAKER CORPS PROGRAM:
1. Provide opportunities for makers to gain leadership skills, increase confidence and
build career readiness skills.
2. Expand the network of maker mentors and community leaders.
3. Expose more youth and families to creative problem-solving through making.
4. Expand the capacity of youth-serving organizations to serve their communities in
maker-oriented projects.
Maker Corps Members will serve as near-peer mentors and role models in a variety of
community settings (science centers, children’s museums, schools, libraries or other
youth-serving organizations) for the summer of 2013 to engage children and families in
creative projects that develop problem-solving skills, while gaining experience serving as
a community leader.

7. The Maker Education Initiative welcomes AnnMarie Thomas, Ph.D., an engineering
educator and maker, as its Executive Director. http://makered.org/about/news/
AnnMarie is an engineering professor who spends her time trying to
encourage the next generation of makers and engineers.
Education:
Ph.D. California Institute of Technology,
Mechanical Engineering (2006)
M.S. California Institute of Technology,
Mechanical Engineering (2002)
S.B. M.I.T.,Ocean Engineering
with a minor in Music (2001)
http://courseweb.stthomas.edu/apthomas/
MIT Alum: ED for the Maker Education Initiative

8. http://www.adafruit.com/about/
MIT Alum: A Leader in the Maker/DIY Movement

10. City of Chicago Summer of Learning (2013)
http://chicagosummeroflearning.org/about

11. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN93OPQdmEY
City of Chicago Summer of Learning (2013)
Video-Clip

12. MITx, EdX & MIT Alumni Association Contributions
The MIT Office of Digital Learning has announced a collaboration between MITx, edX
and the City of Chicago that will bring a six week MOOC-style course to that city's high
school students during the Chicago Summer of Learning. The course, A Taste of Python
Programming, was developed under the leadership of Professor John Guttag and is
based on materials from the popular MITx offering 6.00x Introduction to Computer
Science and Programming. A Taste of Python Programming will run from June 25th to
August 2nd and covers the first four weeks of materials from 6.00x.
The course is primarily for Chicago high school students, but students from other areas
of the country will be welcomed. While the course does not offer credit or certificates,
Chicago students will be able to earn digital badges for completing the course through
the Chicago Summer of Learning Initiative.
The MIT Alumni Association has recruited alumni volunteers who will support the
initiative by participating in the course as Community TAs, engaging in coursework,
and supporting students who pose questions in online discussion forums.
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/mitx-edx-team-up-with-city-of-chicago-to-bring-high-
school-students-mooc-style-learning.html

13. http://chicagosummeroflearning.org/about

14. MIT Student Externship: Jan 7-31 2014
http://alum.mit.edu/students/
NetworkwithAlumni/Externshi
pProgram?destination=node/
17159
The duration of externships can be one week to the entire length of IAP, depending on
sponsor needs. … The Externship Program is free to participating alumni sponsors.
Housing and transportation are the responsibility of the extern; some sponsors do
generously provide a stipend, housing, or transportation assistance.
https://alum.mit.edu/volunteering/VolunteerTools/ExternshipProgramSponsors?destination=node/17570
Application Deadline:
Sep 17, 2013

15. Opportunities
• Cost-Benefits
• Prioritization
FIRST Robotics
• Space to hold stuff
• OCPS: Inter-school teams?
DIY/Maker Movement
• Extended courses?
Other Stakeholders (?)
• City of Orlando
• Orange County Public Schools
Action Plans