Matt's Maker Space Lab

Learn about our faculty's approach to STEM education in Futurum magazine.

Read the story

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.

Located in Academic Hall 716, Point Park's maker space lab is a vibrant workshop 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, this classroom is 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 lab features:

3D printer
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

"Maker spaces are becoming more popular in elementary schools across the country. I love having one on campus because the experience I get from working in the maker space prepares me to use it in the most optimal way with my students in the future."

– Sophie Jebose '23, elementary education major

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

"How Can We Make STEM Subjects More Engaging for Students?" Futurum, Jan. 2023.
"Get Career-Ready with: Sophie Jebose '23, Elementary Education Major," Point Park University website, Nov. 4, 2022.
"Point Park University School of Education Receives National Science Foundation Grant to Support STEM Educator Training," Point Park University website, Nov. 30, 2021.
"Photos: Point Park's School of Education Hosts Grand Opening for Matt's Maker Space Lab," Point Park University website, Aug. 31, 2021.
"Point Park University's School of Education Opens Matt's Maker Space Lab," Point Park University website, Feb. 23, 2021.

For more information:

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

Virginia Chambers, Mark Marnich & Kamryn York

Virginia Chambers, Ed.D.
- Phone: 412-392-6189
- Fax: 412-392-3927
- Email: vchambers@pointpark.edu
Kamryn York, Ed.D.
- Phone: 412-392-3487
- Fax: 412-392-3927
- Email: kyork@pointpark.edu
Mark Marnich, Ed.D.
- Phone: 412-392-3869
- Fax: 412-392-6180
- Email: mmarnich@pointpark.edu