PROJECT INFORMATION COVER PAGE

Project Title: Central City Makerspace

Applicant Name: Gretchen Price (gprice@central-city.k12.ia.us) & Erin Marshall
(emarshall@central-city.k12.ia.us)
Organization: Central City Community School District

Federal Tax EIN #: 426022591

Address: 400 Barber Street Central City, Iowa 52214

Phone: (319) 438-6181

Iowa STEM Funds requested: $10,000

Project Start Date: January 2017

Project End Date: January 2018

Type of Organization: Public School District

I certify that the following proposed activity is a unique and innovative STEM activity, and
not one that has been completed in the past by our organization.

AUTHORIZATION
Authorized Signature

Printed Name

Title

Date

PROJECT NARRATIVE
ABSTRACT
Central City stakeholders recognize the need for highly educated young people who are
interested in pursuing STEM careers, particularly those careers with ties to our local
community. As such, we have a shared vision that calls for STEM opportunities that are
linked to helping students develop rich understandings of important content, think critically,
construct and solve problems, synthesize information, invent, create, and express themselves
proficiently, and leave school prepared to be responsible citizens and lifelong learners. This
vision includes transdisciplinary instruction between our science, engineering, computer
science, mathematics, technology, agriculture, social sciences, and arts teachers, in
cooperation with our local AEA and members of our local community. In order to further our
goals and vision, our district has formed a transdisciplinary cohort of teachers and
administration whose intention is to create a STEAM Makerspace within our district. This
initiative will provide students in preschool through 12th grade with a space to experience
the power of creativity, design, and hands-on building to amplify the raw brilliance of youth
and transform our community. It is our intention for this program to teach rigorous design
iteration, tinkering, applied arts and sciences, and vocational skills to give young people the
creative, technical, and leadership tools necessary to make positive, long-lasting change in
their lives and their communities.

SCOPE OF WORK

akerspace - Past, Present, & Future Sustainability

1

According to a recent research, there is a growing trend for tech-related companies to

relocate to rural communities with the intention of tapping into the tremendous talent that
can often be found in these communities. The White House TechHire Initiative program
created by the Obama Administration is intended to rapidly train rural Americans in the skills
they need for well-paying, tech-centric jobs. Despite
The this growing trend in our economy,
reported that rural schools struggle more than their urban counterparts when it
comes to improving their instruction in STEM content areas - the very courses rural students
need in order to secure the new tech jobs popping up in their communities. A recent report
also found that rural students' perceptions of STEM appear to undermine their chances for
engaging in those subjects. About half of students surveyed said they believe that the
advanced math or science classes often necessary for STEM careers are only for students
who will attend a four-year colleges. Nationwide, rural students are less likely to att end
college than their urban or suburban peers, and those who do are le
ss likely to choose a
four-year institution. In addition to high school students perceptions of STEM education,
similar studies have pointed to the lack of opportunities for our youngest students to engage
in STEM experiences. These reports specifically cite the length of time given to science and
technology during core instruction, and the lack of before/after school and summer camp
STEM experiences available to rural students. Despite these barriers, educators know that
regardless of where students are raised, be it in the country or a suburb, theyre naturally
hungry for knowledge and technologies that are put in their hands.
Central City Schools has a demonstrated commitment to STEM education initiatives and
community-based partnerships. Past projects include programming that focuses on
increased student awareness and involvement in STEM content, such as our annual
participation in Hour of Code - an event that is collaboratively organized by our science and
math departments, in cooperation with the GWAEA and local community members. In
addition to our Hour of Code initiative, our SIAC has recently formed an action research
committee tasked with the development of STEM based cross-curricular programming K-12.
This committee will meet monthly to research and design experiential learning opportunities
for students in our community. Currently in the initiation phase, this team has been tasked
with developing our Makerspace initiative.
During initial discussions, the team has identified the need for a more permanent and fluid
Makerspace. This space will extend and expand our current efforts by providing our
students with a natural platform for STEAM-based discussions and learning centered on their
connection to the world in which they live. We also feel our interdisciplinary approach to this
project will broaden the exposure of this material, reaching more students in the school,
while also helping them make connections between various academic content areas and
their local environment. We are already well on our way to achieving our goals. Our
stakeholders understand the importance of developing robust STEM opportunities at Central
City. To this end, district administration and the local community continue to vocalize their
support for these programs, reflecting the importance of continuing to grow and develop
STEM initiatives in Central City.
In response to our local STEM initiatives and the research cited here, a group of educators
spanning the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) disciplines have
come together on a regular basis to discuss their shared work through a transdisciplinary
approach to their curriculum. Our mission is to engage young people in work that responds
to authentic problems and real-world questions. We believe in the necessity of teaching with
intention - of engaging all students in the experiences of making, building, and designing as
pathways to a robust education and a fulfilling life. Recently we have discussed the districts
current STEM efforts and have worked to imagine a path forward. As this plan takes shape,
2

we feel the creation of a Makerspace is an essential element to bring our current efforts to
the next level. We seek to create a space that will be available to all students in the district
in grades K-12. We hope to have a variety of robots, drones, makey-makey kits, a green
screen, etc. for students to use. Through professional development experiences and
consulting efforts, we hope to encourage classroom teachers to incorporate the space into
their daily curriculum. In addition, we plan for a space that allows students to experience
core content in cross-pollinated classes. These initiatives are discussed in turn below.
Our committee understands the complexities associated with enhancing a STEAM curriculum
in the K-12 core content classroom. Research indicates that teachers are overwhelmed and
underprepared to teach in such a way that addresses complex content that requires
knowledge and application of science, history, writing, math, etc. - in addition to creativity,
collaboration, and critical thinking. We also know that collaboration between teachers is key
to planning and delivering transdisciplinary content successfully. To this end, we envision
the Makerspace as a space where both faculty and students are enabled to learn and extend
STEAM based projects. Working with our community partners, we will offer professional
development for teachers as to the tools and technology available in the Makerspace and
how to directly apply this tool to current classroom content, effectively cross-pollinating
classroom instruction where teachers are encouraged and supported to develop
transdisciplinary content.
In addition to enhancing our core courses with visits to the Makerspace, our committee also
understands the essential nature of providing a space for students to explore and apply their
core subject learning to design and build student-created STEAM projects. Currently our
district offers a 30-minute daily Opportunity Time. This time is currently utilized to provide
extension activities to students in grades 6-12. Teachers design three-week opportunities
that range from Car Repair to robotics to chess. Resources and space for these projects is
seriously limited. Finding time to plan and collaborate is also limited. It is the hope of this
committee that through the design of a Makerspace we will harness Opportunity Time and
provide students with both the time and tools to explore STEAM content. We understand
that the initial implementation of a Makerspace is difficult. Moving students from a
teacher-centric environment to a student-driven environment often leaves students lost and
unsure of themselves. The purpose of this space is to both move students mindsets from a
fixed state to a growth state, while also providing direction and support from the faculty. To
this end, our first task for the 6-12th grade students will be to design and build STEAM-based
exploration kits from the supplies available in the Makerspace (as identified in the budget)
for the preschool and elementary students to use in the classroom, during recess, and after
school.

Month #1: Planning (approximately January 2017)

Survey sent to staff, faculty, before/after care, summer programming directors, and
students to assess current STEAM initiatives within the district.
Develop stakeholder buy-in through district and community-based sharing meetings.
Purchase initial items to reimagine the school library into a Makerspace. (First
invoicing)
Develop STEAM-based curriculum for the initial project.
Month #2: Development (approximately February 2017)
Work with junior high and high school students to map out and build out Makerspace
(Second invoicing anticipated)
3

Meet with faculty, students, and community to share out/raise awareness of space and
STEAM based curriculum (e.g.: tours of Makerspace)

Month #3-6: Roll Out (approximately March through May 2017)

Work with junior high and high school students to develop transdisciplinary
STEAM-based exploration kits for preschool and elementary school students
(approximately 2-3 months). This would include interviewing faculty and students,
observing in elementary and preschool classrooms, researching and/or virtually
visiting Makerspaces, etc. (Third invoicing to STEM Innovation anticipated)
Report #1 (due month 3) and #2 (due month 6) Due to Iowa STEM Innovation
Summer 2017:
Makerspace is available for use by the districts summer programming.
Month #7-12: Full Project Implementation (approximately August 2017 through January 2018)
Roll out of kits to elementary faculty and staff
Survey sent to staff, faculty, before/after care, summer programming directors, and
students to assess current STEAM initiatives within the district. Meeting scheduled to
compare/contrast initial survey with current reality.
Report #3 Due to Iowa STEM Innovation (month 9)
Central City stakeholders believe in the importance of identifying key prerequisites for a
STEM career, most important of which is engaging students through collaborative, hands-on,
problem-solving and project-based learning in STEM experiences. To this end, we hope that
our implementation of a Makerspace will continue to attract our underrepresented students
at Central City. Currently, Central City demographics include: 9% of children identifying as a
minority, 9% of children are identified as having an Individualized Education Plan, and 28% of
our students are eligible for free or reduced price lunch. In addition, 26% of our students
enrolled in 7th-12th grade are identified as At-Risk. Of these demographic groups, 93% of
females, 80% of students identified as free/reduced, and 90% of children identified as At-Risk
are enrolled in science courses. In addition, 91% of females, 99% of students identified as
free/reduced, and 79% of children identified as At-Risk are enrolled in math courses. In
2014/15, Central City celebrated the success of our 6th graders in science; with the focused
efforts from faculty and the community, the percentage of children proficient in science
increased from 60% to 81%. We attribute this growth to our concerted efforts to improve
our STEM curriculum. Our vision and goals for this initiative include the continued academic
success of our underrepresented student population in science and mathematics, continued
growth in STEM-based academic and extracurricular opportunities, and the future growth of
our STEM focused cross-curricular coursework.
The anticipated outcome of the Central City Makerspace is for elementary students to utilize
and learn from STEAM-based exploration kits during recess and class time. Additionally,
middle- and high-school students will gain experience with STEAM concepts. To evaluate the
usage of the Makerspace, we will create a Google Calendar for the space where teachers will
sign up for when they plan to use the kits. We will be able to monitor how frequently the
space is being used as well as see which teachers are taking advantage of the opportunity.
Frequent feedback from students and teachers will be collected to evaluate effectiveness.

QUALIFICATIONS
4

The following individuals have committed their time and talents to this project:
Laura Asprey, Science Teacher. Laura is in her 2nd year of teaching with a B.A in
Science
Kiley Baerg, Agriculture Teacher. Kiley is in her first year of teaching. She has a B.A. in
Agriculture and Biological Science. She is also the FFA Advisor.
Stacy Behmer, Grant Wood AEA Technology Consultant. Stacy has been in education
for a decade. She holds a Masters in Mathematics and Spanish. Stacy is currently the
Coordinator of Digital Learning Technology at the Grant Wood AEA.
Katie Delaney, English Language Arts Teacher. Katie has worked in education for six
years. She holds a B.A. in English and Secondary Education. Katie is currently working
on completing her Masters of Arts in School Library Science from the University of
Northern Iowa.
Jessica Kremer, Instructional Coach. Jessica has worked in education for 8 years. She
holds a B.A in Elementary Education and is currently working on her Masters of Science
in Science Education from Montana State University
Erin Marshall, Math Teacher. Erin has worked in education for 5 years. She holds a B.A.
in Math and Math Education and is currently working on her Masters in Educational
Leadership from Drake University (graduating in December). She has been in charge
of Central Citys Hour of Code for the past 3 years and helped start the Computer
Programming class at Central City.
Stephanie Mass, Art Teacher. Stephanie has worked in education for 5 years. She
holds a Bachelor of Art in Art Education and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art.
Gretchen Price, Curriculum Director. Gretchen has been in education for 13 years. She
holds and B.A. in Anthropology and a M.S. in Elementary Education. She is currently
working on her Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning at the University of Iowa.
Elise van Holsteijn, Music/Band Teacher. Elise has been in education for 3 years. She
holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education.

BUDGET
Requested from STEM Council
Personnel Costs (including fringe benefits)
1. Compensation for after school meeting time

$2,944

Total Personnel Costs

$2,944

Supplies (show costs and justify in narrative)

1. 6 Sphero SPRK+ Ultimate Packs
2. Green Screen Kit
3. iPad tripod

$899.94
$114.99
$13.99

4. iPad Air 2

$379.00

5. 6 Makey-Makey Kits

$299.70

6. 6 Makey-Makey Inventor Booster Kits

7. 6 OzoBot 2.0 Bit Starter Packs (with free upgrade to OzoBlockly)
8. iPad Mini 2 16GB 10-pack (with 3 year AppleCare)
9. Other supplies
Total Supply Costs

$59.70
$294
$3,530
$1,464.68
$7,056.00

Travel (itemize and show justification)

Total Travel Costs

$0

Other District Costs (provide descriptions and itemize)

5

Total Other District Costs

Total Estimated Cost

$0
$10,000