Inspiring kids to be curious: Matt’s Maker Space celebrates 10 years
Matt’s Maker Space celebrates 10 years
Founded by Noelle and David Conover in memory of their son, Matt, who died in 2002 at the age of 12, the first Matt’s Maker Space opened at Foster Elementary School in Mt. Lebanon where Matt and all of her four children were students.
“It was there because that was the elementary school where all my children went and that was the elementary school where the teachers took such good care of us when Matt was sick,” Noelle Conover said.
Eventually all seven Mt. Lebanon elementary schools were equipped with a Matt’s Maker Space made possible by a gift from the Conover family.
“Ten years ago, we could never have imagined where this journey would take us,” said Noelle. “We simply wanted to create something meaningful in Matt’s memory, something that reflected his curiosity, creativity and love of learning.”
The most recent space opened at Rowan University in New Jersey.
“It was our first out of state (maker space). It was our first in a university environment with college kids. And it’s lovely – it’s in a center they call Thrive,” Noelle said.
By the end of this year, there will be 62 maker spaces bearing Matt’s name.
The spaces started out in elementary schools; however, the Conovers quickly became aware that maker spaces were useful in many other settings, including teen centers, preschools, mental health facilities, libraries, hospitals, cancer centers and community organizations.
“We already have five identified for next year. And it’s interesting because only one of them is in a school, the rest of them are in different kinds of places that we never would have dreamed of when we started Matt’s Maker Space. One will be in a teen center where at-risk youth go after school … another is at Urban Impact,” said Noelle. This will be the second Matt’s Maker Space at Urban Impact after the first opened in its preschool this year.
“We continue to grow at about six spaces a year, which initially I told my board we’d grow at two a year, but we really haven’t done that in 10 years.”
The spaces are funded through a foundation established by the Conover family and corporate grants.
Matt’s Maker Space has partnered with organizations including the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Grable Foundation, Alcoa, PPG, Arconic, ANSYS, Carnegie Mellon University and the EQT Foundation, along with schools and community organizations to expand access to maker education.
Each space is uniquely equipped for the needs of the organization receiving the space.
“Each Matt’s Maker Space is designed to give learners opportunities to imagine, create, experiment, collaborate and learn through making, particularly in communities where access to STEAM resources may be limited,” Noelle said.
“For us, this has always been about more than building rooms filled with equipment,” Noelle said. “It’s about making space for learners to be curious, to take risks, to solve problems and to discover what they are capable of. That is Matt’s legacy.”
Matt’s Maker Space will hold a 10th Birthday Bash at the MuseumLab to celebrate its first decade and give a glimpse of what lies ahead on Wednesday, Nov. 4, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the MuseumLab in Pittsburgh. Tickets are free and can be reserved at https://tinyurl.com/MMSBirthdayBash.