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MakerPlaces: An Approach to Culturally Relevant Engineering Education (Resource Exchange, Diversity)

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Conference

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Publication Date

June 22, 2025

Start Date

June 22, 2025

End Date

August 15, 2025

Conference Session

PCEE Instructional Showcases

Tagged Division

Pre-College Engineering Education Division (PCEE)

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

3

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/56949

Download Count

1

Paper Authors

biography

Robert Hayes Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach

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As a postdoctoral scholar Robert has developed programs, lessons, and resources to support Navajo non-profit Key'ah Rural Manufacturing Alliance (KARMA) in expanding access to culturally relevant engineering education in the Navajo and neighboring reservations.

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biography

Merredith D Portsmore Tufts University

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Dr. Merredith Portsmore is the Director for Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (www.ceeo.tufts.edu).

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Keanu Jones

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Abstract

MakerPlaces are an approach to culturally relevant pre-college engineering education envisioned by a Navajo non-profit organization, and co-developed with university partners, and local partners (schools and community centers) in the Navajo Nation. The MakerPlace emphasizes the relationship to place from a Navajo approach that accentuates the kinship between land, community, home, and the universe, where children playfully mimic while absorbing a new way while sustaining their ancestral knowledge and skills. Their implementation is aimed at igniting STEM for pre-college learners, and supporting workforce development and entrepreneurship, across the geographically dispersed Navajo and neighboring reservations. In this resource exchange, we share two Technology, Engineering, and Art (TEA) lesson for students in grades 3-8, co-developed with community center partners, to illustrate how the MakerPlace can integrate community cultural learning with robotics education using LEGO SPIKE Prime technology. This lesson and others for use in MakerPlaces will be available freely online.

Hayes, R., & Portsmore, M. D., & Jones, K. (2025, June), MakerPlaces: An Approach to Culturally Relevant Engineering Education (Resource Exchange, Diversity) Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/56949

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