White House Announces National Week of Making for 2016

The Maker Faire trailer is seen outside the rose garden during the first ever White House Maker Faire, which brings together students, entrepreneurs, and everyday citizens who are using new tools and techniques to launch new businesses, learn vital skills in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and fuel the renaissance in American manufacturing, at the White House, Wednesday, June 18, 2014 in Washington. The President announced new steps the Administration and its partners are taking to support the ability of more Americans, young and old, to have to access to these tools and techniques and brings their ideas to life. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The Maker Faire trailer is seen outside the rose garden during the first ever White House Maker Faire, 2014. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Ahead of the President’s visit to SXSW on Friday, today the White House announced the 2016 National Week of Making on June 17-23. This is the third major Nation of Makers event following the first-ever White House Maker Faire in 2014.

In addition to a public National Maker Faire, June 18-19 in DC, plenty of other events are being wrapped up in this celebration of hacking, tinkering, learning hands-on skills, and general DIY geekery. The White House is encouraging other events across the nation during the week to spread the love.

The Week of Making announcement also launched the U.S. Department of Education’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Makeover Challenge. $200,000 in prize money is up for grabs as encouragement to create more “makerspaces” in American high schools where students have the tools, space, and mentors to design, build, and innovate.

Full announcement here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/03/09/fact-sheet-white-house-announces-doubling-techhire-communities-and-new

More on the Nation of Makers: https://www.whitehouse.gov/nation-of-makers

Info on the National Maker Faire: http://makerfaire.com/national/

The President’s Weekly Address on March 6 discussed innovation, his trip to SXSW, and why the nation needs to support makers and geeks. Honestly, it feels good to have the President validating what most of us have known for a while 😉

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Tim Bailey

Tim Bailey is a space geek, husband to a brilliant engineer, father of two adventurous daughters, and proficient at zero gravity flips in multiple axes. He leads the Marine Maker initiative from Washington, DC, is a Flight Attendant for Zero Gravity Corporation, and is Executive Director for Yuri's Night, the annual worldwide celebration of human spaceflight held every April 12.