While Assistant Principal of Partee Elementary School, 2015 Teach On Project Principal Winner Jennifer Dunn wanted to create a space where students' brains were stretched, exciting things were created, and students were challenged to think at higher levels. She knew that a makerspace would help students use project based learning to solve real world problems and ultimately, increase math and science scores.
Award Winner: Jennifer Dunn
Winner Cohort: 2015
Project Title: Makerspace
After she was selected as an TOP 2015 Principal Grantee, Jennifer began building Partee's makerspace. It quickly became a huge success. The makerspace invited curiosity, inspired wonder, encouraged out of the box thinking, and harnessed innovation! Partee students’ scores not only increased in science and math, but the buzz around the school was contagious. All 723 Partee students were coding, creating, building, and getting hands-on experience with learning standards. The makerspace was full daily and with classes and students working. The culture of Partee changed from more direct instruction into students making and designing. Parents, teachers, and students loved the makerspace, and it was booked until the very last day of the school year!