Making Spaces Trajectory for Partnering Schools 

This page provides a suggested overview of the school-partnership and crowdfunding process. 

Determine your capacity as a school to participate (November/December 2016)

• Attend information session for interested schools

  • Information Session slides from Nov 2, 2016

• Review project and process

  • School FAQ 

• Identify team leader and project team

• Complete application 

Establish vision and plan for integrating making (January/February 2017)

• Attend first Making Spaces Workshop - focused on Visioning

  • Making Spaces Workshop #1 slides from Jan 17, 2017

• Determine goals for makerspace and/or maker program (Begin on Jan 17)

  • Vision Statement Tool

  • Vision Statement Tool introduction/guide 

• Complete Learning & Instruction tool outside of workshop (prior to February workshop)

• Complete Pieces & Parts tool outside of workshop (prior to February workshop)

 Establish crowdfunding goals and actions  (February/March 2017)

• Attend second Making Spaces Workshop - focused on Crowdfunding

  • Making Spaces Workshop #2 slides from Feb 28, 2017

• Determine goals/needs for crowdfunding (Begin on Feb 28)

  • Determining Your Budget tool 

• Comparing Platforms and Selecting A Platform (Complete on Feb 28)

  • Platform Comparison spreadsheet

  • Campaign Comparison/Review spreadsheet

  • Platform Comparison survey responses - GoFundMe as choice for platform

GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign development (April/May 2017)

• Review feasibility of crowdfunding goals/needs (prior to late April meeting)

  • Revisit Determining Your Budget tool (also worked on in February)

• Determine viability of running a Certified Charity campaign through your school/district's education foundation or PTA/PTO (prior to late April meeting)

  • GoFundMe support page for Certified Charity campaigns

• Creating your GoFundMe campaign (begin prior to April meeting)

  • Begin to collect photos of making/hands-on work in the school (ensure proper media releases)

  • Begin to write your story (Why do want to bring making into your school, what will it accomplish?)

    • GoFundMe page on How to Tell Your Story

  • Create a list of the general items/things you'd like to fundraise toward, in order to include in the story.

  • Begin storyboarding the video for your crowdfunding campaign and recording clips (ensure proper media releases)

• Attend third Making Spaces Workshop - focused on Crowdfunding Campaign Development (April 21st or 26th)

  • Work Day to create your crowdfunding campaign and give/receive feedback

• Community outreach strategy (at April meeting or following)

  • Determine media/social media outlets you can use to promote your campaign

    • GoFundMe page on 25 Tips and Tricks for Sharing Your GoFundMe Campaign

  • Consider flyers that can be posted around the community and/or sent home

Launch campaigns (May/June 2017)

• Launch and monitor campaign (goal of by May 10th)

• Spread the word through social media platforms and community outreach (throughout May & June)

• Provide updates during the campaign (mid-May through June)

  • Can pre-write updates that can be posted at the end of school year and through summer if we continue the crowdfunding campaigns

Continue developing Maker culture in school (Summer/Fall 2017)

• Work with SMCOE to provide professional development, design consulting and other services 

• Review how the crowdfunding process went to determine methods for sustaining and furthering community engagement in maker education 

Open a Makerspace / Begin Maker Program (Fall 2017)