Small Hands, Big Ideas: Mentorship and Making Across the Grades • Presentation

 Linda Pidgeon, Amy Cox, Alex Hackney, Megan Thorington, Gibraltar School District, Weiss Elementary Educators

What happens when you give your students the keys to the workshop? Join a team of elementary-aged students and their teachers as they share the blueprint for a truly student-driven Makerspace. In this session, the "real experts" will demonstrate how they managed materials, designed projects, and solved problems without waiting for their teacher's permission. You’ll leave with practical strategies for fostering independence, establishing student safety protocols, and shifting your role from "director" to "facilitator."

Level: Elementary School

Topics: Design Thinking, Makerspaces, STEM

Creative Construction: Building Meaning in the ELA Classroom

Shana Ramin and Jennifer Stirling,  Oakland Schools, Technology Integration Specialists

Step into the world of Maker ELA! In this interactive session, participants will explore hands-on strategies that spark curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. You’ll experience practical literacy approaches that help students work through text in concrete, meaningful ways. Walk away with adaptable methods you can use right away to make learning more interactive, student-centered, and engaging.

Level: Middle School, High School

Topics: Digital Creations, Makerspaces

Accessibility in STEM • Presentation

Pamela Cunningham and Amber Wade, Wayne RESA, Assistive Technology Consultants

Learn how to make STEM and technology classrooms more inclusive for students with disabilities through accessibility and assistive technology. This session will explore adaptive tools, communication supports, and practical strategies for modifying materials and activities so all students can actively engage in STEM learning. STEM and special education teachers will gain ideas for fostering creativity, problem-solving, and innovation in an accessible way. Join us to discover how small changes can create big opportunities for all learners in STEM!

Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Topics: Assistive Technology, Computer Science, STEM

Learn By Doing in the Makerspace

We invite you to visit the stations in the makerspace and participate in the maker activities/challenges. Once you are finished at a station, use the QR code to access the Padlet for that station. Upload a photo or video as evidence that you were there. 

It’s a Whole Vibe: The App Design Dash

Tony Vincent, Learning in Hand

Keep the good vibes flowing in this fast-paced Design Dash. In less than an hour, you’ll use the Engineering Design Process to build a real web app for your classroom. No coding required. We’ll use Vibe Coding to turn natural language into working software, proving that if you can describe an idea, you can build it. You’ll move quickly from identifying a classroom problem to generating a custom solution with simple conversational prompts. Along the way, you’ll brainstorm ideas, use AI to plan the user experience, and refine your app through rapid iteration. You’ll leave with a finished, share-ready app you can use right away with students or colleagues. Bring your laptop and your imagination. This session is truly a whole vibe.

Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Topics: Digital Creations, Design Thinking, Artificial Intelligence

STEAM Begins with Heart: Teaching Compassion Before Code

Chala Hannon, Detroit Academy of Arts & Sciences, Technology Teacher 

Participants will learn how to build trauma-free, compassionate classroom environments that support student belonging and readiness for coding. Educators will gain strategies to differentiate coding lessons, scaffold core computer science concepts, and integrate coding into existing curriculum. They will create a personalized implementation plan, practice student-centered instructional routines, and learn how to use data and student voice to adjust instruction. By the end, teachers will be equipped to increase engagement, confidence, and problem-solving skills for all students in coding and computer science.

Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Topics: Coding, Computational Thinking, Computer Science, Design Thinking, Makerspaces, STEM, Social Emotional

Elementary Engineering with Sphero Blueprint Snap • Presentation

 Jess Williams and Dustin Vanderploeg, Sphero, Implementation Specialists

Get hands-on with Sphero Blueprint Snap, the engineering kit designed for grades 3–5 that brings creativity, collaboration, and design thinking to life. Classrooms need materials that are easy to use, quick to set up, and open-ended enough to encourage creativity — Blueprint Snap was designed specifically with that in mind. In this session, you’ll explore how students can use Blueprint Snap to learn core engineering concepts like structure, motion, and simple machines through open-ended building challenges and guided activities. Discover how this approachable, student-friendly system introduces foundational STEM skills and builds the confidence learners need to transition into more advanced engineering and robotics experiences.

Level: Elementary School

Topics: Computational Thinking, Design Thinking, Engineering, Makerspaces, STEM

Learn By Doing in the Makerspace

We invite you to visit the stations in the makerspace and participate in the maker activities/challenges. Once you are finished at a station, use the QR code to access the Padlet for that station. Upload a photo or video as evidence that you were there. 

Project Possible: Where Engineering and Empathy Meet  • Presentation

Karen Dickelman, Angela Christy, Andrea Saksa, Lianna Malicowski, Katie Colbourne, Ana Tilley, and Stacey Barnard

Wayne-Westland Community Schools, Pre-K-12 District STEM Educators

Discover how Project Possible brings STEM learning to life through compassion, creativity, and real-world impact. In this session, we share how middle school students partner with preschool and early elementary learners with severe multiple disabilities to design meaningful adaptations and tools that make everyday tasks more accessible. Through their work, older students learn to approach engineering with heart—listening closely, observing carefully, and iterating with purpose. Participants will see how cross-age collaboration naturally builds empathy, deepens problem-solving skills, and strengthens student voice. You’ll walk away with practical strategies for guiding students as they design accessible solutions, along with ideas for creating inclusive learning environments where every child can participate and thrive. We’ll also highlight a simple framework you can use to launch a similar community-centered STEM project—identifying needs, co-designing solutions, and reflecting on the impact together. Join us to explore how authentic challenges help young innovators realize that their ideas matter, their creativity has power, and their work can make life better for someone else. This is STEM with purpose—this is Project Possible.

Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Topics: Assistive Technology, Design Thinking, Engineering, Makerspaces, STEM, Problem-Solving

Makerspace Gamification • Presentation

Katie Jensen and Erin Woods, Allen Park Public Schools, Elementary Media Specialists

In this session, we’ll share how we designed and implemented a Gamification Unit for 3rd–5th-grade students to boost engagement, collaboration, and problem-solving. Participants will explore how we transformed classroom tasks into missions using game elements such as leveling, points, and narrative challenges. We’ll highlight our planning process, cross-curricular connections, and classroom takeaways. Attendees will leave with practical examples and strategies to bring gamified learning to their own classrooms.

Level: Elementary School

Topics: Makerspaces, STEM

Make, Code, and Take Action: Climate STEM Projects That Inspire Change • Presentation

Vinos Kassab, Oakland Schools, Digital Learning/Computer Science Consultant

Step into the future of Coding and Sustainability! Explore the Climate Action Kits to engage students in building robotic solutions to today’s environmental issues, from clean energy to conservation. In this hands-on session, you’ll get to explore the kits, experience student-centered activities, and discover strategies to connect climate science with coding, creativity, and classroom impact. Prior experience with the micro:bit is helpful but not required — all educators are welcome!

Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Topics: Coding, Computational Thinking, Computer Science, Design Thinking, Robotics, STEM

Learn By Doing in the Makerspace

We invite you to visit the stations in the makerspace and participate in the maker activities/challenges. Once you are finished at a station, use the QR code to access the Padlet for that station. Upload a photo or video as evidence that you were there. 

Vibe Check: Closing Showcase

Tony Vincent, Learning in Hand

Let’s end on a high note. This closing session spotlights the standout ideas from the Design Dash with a series of Mic Drops led by you. Selected teams will demo the custom apps they built and show just how accessible AI can be in the classroom. You’ll see vibe coding in action, celebrate the creativity of your colleagues, and gather ideas you can take back to your school. Whether you’re presenting or cheering from the crowd, you’ll leave inspired and ready for the good vibes ahead.

Raffle Drawing

Please print your first and last name on the back of each raffle ticket before placing it in the box next to the prize in the foyer.  Must be present to win.