The Wildcat Workshop is a K-8 multidisciplinary makerspace at Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy in Philadelphia.
We make things using technology, computer science, and engineering. Along the way, we learn science, social studies, civic argumentation, storytelling, and digital citizenship. Learn more.
Sign ups are now live for fall 2025 after school clubs in the Wildcat Workshop.
The Wildcat Workshop has a Donors Choose fundraising page! You can donate at any time and funds will be applied to a current or future project. Past donors have helped us purchase LEGO robotics kits, tiles and grout for a mosaic pixel art project, and a sewing machine.
The Wildcat Workshop has an Amazon classroom wishlist. You can select items and have them shipped directly to the school. The list will be updated throughout the school year as materials needs emerge.
Over the summer, the Wildcat Workshop received some upgrades: air conditioning, new tables and chairs, new desktop Macs and MacBooks, and additional storage. We still need some additional materials for the year. Check out our Donors Choose page to chip in!
27 Marian Anderson students participated in the Philly Media and Design Competition in April 2025. Our teams won awards in 6 of the 8 categories we participated in. Two teams went on to win first place at the state competition in May.
Students in the after school NSBE Jr. club created an underwater rover for the Sea Perch competition in March 2025. Special thanks to Ms. Cassidy for supporting the team as a mentor.
Students in the afterschool Science Fair Club presented projects for the 2025 Carver Science Fair at Temple University. Two students won awards.
Three students who participated in our WHY Media Lab program won first place at National History Day Philly 2025 for their documentary on Chinatown.
In grade 4, students work on Genius Hour projects. One group created a "Kids Talk Sports" podcast. Listen to the first episode of the podcast and learn more about Genius Hour.
At Marian Anderson, our students learn to use digital tools in creative, collaborative, and constructive ways! Students can earn badges by showing that they know what it means to be good digital citizens.
Check in with a trusted adult about how often you use a digital device
Monitor how you feel when you are using a digital device
Balance the time you look at a screen with other activities, like talking to others and exercising
Use a password that has a combination of letters, numbers, capitalization, and special characters
Ensure that your password is difficult to guess
Keep password secret while sharing it with a trusted adult
Check with a trusted adult for advice
Monitor how you feel when you are engaging with media
Ask yourself, does this seem like it could be untrue or harmful to me or others?
In most cases, if you use text or an image made by someone else, ask for their permission to use it and give them credit
When searching for media to use in a presentation, apply fair use principles
Explain how computers work in terms of input, output, memory, and processing
Describe how some user actions can positively or negatively affect input, output, memory, and/or processing
Describe how and where information about you may be stored online
Reflect on what kinds of information should be shared online
Change sharing settings in Google Docs to share a file with a teacher and/or peer
Write clear, concise, and courteous emails
Post and respond on social media, websites, and shared documents with a desire to do good
Recognize, report, and refrain from cyberbullying
Identify reliable and reputable sources online
Use appropriate search terms and techniques
Use lateral reading to corroborate claims found online
Check with a trusted adult for advice