California Community College makerspaces prepare students for careers and contribute to regional economies
In 2016, theCalifornia Community College Chancellor’s Office, Workforce and Economic Division funded the $17 million CCC Maker Initiative for three years under the Doing What Matters for Jobs and the Economy framework. We believe that creating a college maker culture will enable students to explore, create and connect in new creative ways and this will more effectively prepare them for meaningful careers.
The CCC Maker Initiative:
- Supports a network of California Community College makerspaces, nurtures a maker culture and incorporates innovation, entrepreneurship and making into education
- Funds 800 internships using skills developed in the classroom and the makerspace leading to high wage, in-demand STEM/STEAM careers
- Offers resources, connects colleges and encourages plans that fit community needs
- Builds a community of college makerspaces that:
- Welcomes non-traditional students
- Encourages building community within each college’s regional ecosystem
- Supports faculty in embedding making into instruction
- Partners with businesses to produce innovation-ready graduates
- Creates relevant career pathways and stackable credentials, promotes student success and gets Californians into open jobs
- Shares best practices in infusing making, innovation and entrepreneurship into students’ college experiences to prepare them for STEM/STEAM careers
Increase Opportunity through Making
Problem
California’s education pipeline is not keeping pace with the skills and education required by employers, entrepreneurship among young adults has declined, and instructional delivery methods of the past are being replaced by more accessible, inexpensive and plentiful sources.
Opportunity
With 2.1 million students, California Community Colleges represent the largest and most diverse education system in the United States. With a goal of closing California’s middle-skills gap, a successful model could positively impact many students, preparing them with 21st Century Skills, growing STEM/STEAM fields, fueling job creation and strengthening regional economies.
Education that Makes an Impact
Vision
CCC Maker spaces will drive innovation in education and California Community College students will be prepared for success in STEM/STEAM careers that demand 21st Century skills.
Mission
The California Community College (CCC) Maker initiative will build a community of college makerspaces that welcome non-traditional students, support faculty in embedding making into instruction and offering adaptive curriculum, and partner with businesses to produce innovation-ready graduates inspired to contribute to the creative economy.
International Symposium on Academic Makerspaces Papers
2019 — Hacking Maslow: Assessment, Scale, and Survival of a Statewide Community College Makerspace Network in California
2018 — Santa Maria’s Central Coast Makerspace Collaborative: A Network of Internal and External Partners
2018 — Making Across the Curriculum: Multidisciplinary Making at Folsom Lake College
2016 — Creating a Network of Community Colleges with Makerspaces: California’s CCC Maker Model.
Initiative Reports to Chancellor’s Office
InnovationMaker3 #16-203-001 CCC Maker Initiative – Sierra College CCC Maker Final Quarterly Report for April to May 2019
InnovationMaker3 #16-203-001 CCC Maker Initiative – Sierra College CCC Maker January 1-March 31, 2019 Quarterly Report
InnovationMaker3 #16-203-001 CCC Maker Initiative – Sierra College Narrative Report: October 1 – December 31, 2018
InnovationMaker3 #16-203-001 CCC Maker Initiative – Sierra College Narrative Report: July 1 – September 30, 2018
InnovationMaker3 #16-203-001 CCC Maker Initiative – Sierra College Narrative Report: January 1 – June 30, 2018
InnovationMaker3 #16-203-001 CCC Maker Initiative – Sierra College Narrative Report: July 1 – December 31, 2017
InnovationMaker3 #16-203-001 CCC Maker Initiative – Sierra College Narrative Report: January 1 – June 30, 2017
InnovationMaker3 #16-203-001 CCC Maker Initiative – Sierra College Narrative Report: September 1 – December 30, 2016
Colleges
The initiative began in fall 2016 with selection of leadership and the first advisory committee meeting in October 2016. From January to June, 2017, 35 colleges participated in the Makerspace Startup process. Of those, 28 colleges competed for two year grants that were awarded to 24 colleges in July 2017.
Statewide Advisory Committee
The CCC Maker Project will be guided by an advisory group representing educators, the international maker community, and worldwide businesses and organizations supporting the creative economy.
Implementation Team
Sierra College is the Fiscal Agent and Technical Assistance Provider for the CCC Maker Project. Carol Pepper-Kittredge is the Statewide Project Manager, CCC Maker and is based at Sierra College. The implementation team guiding the colleges includes leadership from Sierra College , the Technical Assistance Provider (TAP) from Pasadena City College and outside consultants.
Project Partners
To provide resources to colleges as they develop makerspace communities, CCC Maker has benefited from the expertise of many partners.
Stay Updated
Join our mailing list.