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Matt's Maker Space Labs at Point Park

Pictured are students Allison Plassio and Ava Cook. Photo by Randall Coleman.
Pictured are students Allison Plassio and Ava Cook exploring the new Matt's Maker Space Too, a second maker space classroom opened on Point Park's campus in 2023.
 

Preparing Aspiring Educators for Modern K-12 STEM Classrooms

Immerse yourself in modern teaching methods related to K-12 STEM and maker education in Point Park University's Matt's Maker Space Lab and Matt's Maker Space Too.

Located in Academic Hall 716 and 718, Point Park's maker space classrooms are vibrant workshops designed to facilitate hands-on, collaborative learning experiences, featuring a variety of high-tech and low-tech tools. Modeled after real-world maker spaces popping up at educational institutions around the world, these classrooms are an engaging tool used to best prepare our pre-service teachers to enter the classroom as certified teachers. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, STEM professions are expected to grow 8.8% in the next 10 years. Pittsburgh is emerging as a national leader in STEM-centered maker space education. At Point Park, students have the opportunity to build their STEM teaching skills by using maker space education to integrate STEM concepts throughout interdisciplinary curriculum. 

Point Park's maker space classrooms features:

  • 3D printers
  • Virtual reality goggles
  • Green screen production kit
  • K'NEX
  • littleBits kits
  • MaKey MaKey kits
  • Modular Robotics Cubelets
  • Sphero robots
  • GoldieBlox project kits
  • KEVA Planks
  • Wonder Workshop Cue Robot
  • Strawbees School Kit
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The latest addition of tools to Matt's Maker Space Lab at Point Park are several 3D printers, donated by Design to Make a Difference. Pictured are students designing "Mug Wumps" to create with the 3D printers. Photo by Natalie Caine.
The Matt's Maker Space Lab at Point Park University features a wide variety of low- and high-tech tools and materials. Photo by Natalie Caine.
Pictured from left are Point Park President Dr. Chris W. Brussalis, Professor Kamryn York, Ed.D., Matt's Maker Space Co-Founder Noelle Conover and Professor Virginia Chambers, Ed.D., at the grand opening of Matt's Maker Space Too. Photo by Randall Coleman.
Students utilize materials in the maker space classrooms to build and test lesson plans before facilitating them in their field experiences. Photo by Natalie Caine.
Students work together on a project in Matt's Maker Space Too. File photo.
Professors Kamryn York, Ed.D., Virginia Chambers, Ed.D., and Mark Marnich, Ed.D., worked together to win a grant from the National Science Foundation for STEM educator training. Photo by Natalie Caine.
Pictured is Professor Matt Pascal, Ph.D., teaching a class with Professor Kamryn York, Ed.D., in the Matt's Maker Space Lab. Photo by Natalie Caine.
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Pictured are students in Matt's Maker Space Lab at Point Park. Photo by Natalie Caine.
The latest addition of tools to Matt's Maker Space Lab at Point Park are several 3D printers, donated by Design to Make a Difference. Pictured are students designing "Mug Wumps" to create with the 3D printers. Photo by Natalie Caine.
Pictured is a wall of tools and materials in the Matt's Maker Space Lab at Point Park University. Photo by Natalie Caine.
The Matt's Maker Space Lab at Point Park University features a wide variety of low- and high-tech tools and materials. Photo by Natalie Caine.
Pictured from left are Point Park President Dr. Chris W. Brussalis, Dr. Kamryn York, Matt's Maker Space Co-Founder Noelle Conover and Dr. Virginia Chambers. Photo by Randall Coleman.
Pictured from left are Point Park President Dr. Chris W. Brussalis, Professor Kamryn York, Ed.D., Matt's Maker Space Co-Founder Noelle Conover and Professor Virginia Chambers, Ed.D., at the grand opening of Matt's Maker Space Too. Photo by Randall Coleman.
Pictured is a student working on a project in the Matt's Maker Space Lab. Photo by Natalie Caine.
Students utilize materials in the maker space classrooms to build and test lesson plans before facilitating them in their field experiences. Photo by Natalie Caine.
Pictured are students working in Matt's Maker Space Too. File photo.
Students work together on a project in Matt's Maker Space Too. File photo.
Professors Kamryn York, Ed.D., Virginia Chambers, Ed.D., and Mark Marnich, Ed.D., work together in the Matt's Maker Space Lab. Photo by Natalie Caine.
Professors Kamryn York, Ed.D., Virginia Chambers, Ed.D., and Mark Marnich, Ed.D., worked together to win a grant from the National Science Foundation for STEM educator training. Photo by Natalie Caine.
A student works on an art-focused STEM project in the Matt’s Maker Space Lab. Photo by Randall Coleman.
Pictured is Professor Matt Pascal, Ph.D., teaching a class with Professor Kamryn York, Ed.D., in the Matt's Maker Space Lab. Photo by Natalie Caine.
Pictured is Professor Matt Pascal, Ph.D., teaching a class with Professor Kamryn York, Ed.D., in the Matt's Maker Space Lab. Photo by Natalie Caine.
Students look through materials in the workshop area of Matt’s Maker Space Lab. Photo by Randall Coleman.
A class of students work on projects in Matt’s Maker Space Lab. Photo by Randall Coleman.

"One of the things I have enjoyed about studying maker space education at Point Park is that it shows us as teachers that students can learn subjects, standards and objectives without just assigning worksheets. When students enter a maker space, they are able to create inventions, bring their classroom activity to life or work with new materials they might have not been exposed to before entering the maker space." – Ava Cook '24

 

Our Community Partners

Point Park's Matt's Maker Space Lab is part of the regional Making It Happen in Makerspaces program, which includes several Pittsburgh partners:
Additionally, Point Park received a $281,830 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support the School of Education's “Transforming Integrative Makerspace Education for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) Pre-Service Teachers” program. Our community partners on the grant include:

In the News

For more information:

Pictured are Virginia Chambers, Mark Marnich and Kamryn York. Photo by Natalie Caine.
Virginia Chambers, Mark Marnich & Kamryn York

Learn more Kamryn York, Ed.D., and why she loves teaching in the Matt's Maker Space Lab in the video below: