The New York Maker Faire is the largest celebration of invention, creativity, and curiosity on the east coast with an estimated 90,000 attendees…Brilliant Labs’ very own Jacob Lingley, Program Director, will be speaking to hundreds of Maker Faire delegates from around the world about Atlantic Canada’s Makerspaces and Maker Culture.

Brilliant Labs has been sending teachers to the NYC Maker Faire for the past 4 years. ” We are incredibly lucky to be returning to Maker Faire NY for the fourth year in a row” Jacob Lingley, Brilliant Labs New Brunswick’s Program Director, shared “every year it seems as though we leave this event with a more refined vision of how Brilliant Labs can support the youth of Atlantic Canada make their projects come to life.”

The Maker Faire experience is forever evolving explained Jacob, “reflecting on my own experience at Maker Faire, I found my first year being this chaotic search for new technologies to bring back to our school makerspaces. I spent so much time speaking with manufacturers, inquiring as to educational feasibility that I completely missed the essence of Maker Faire: community.” It’s that community that is the foundation of the maker experience. In Atlantic Canada we are learning that it is the community that helps define what students and teachers will be passionate about and from that passion they can find learning through making.

Within the context of education, Maker Faire provides a reminder of the importance of an inclusive learning environment. Too often students perceive that they are not suited for a particular hobby, subject or activity. Once introduced to a making environment, these same students realize that they may have the same interests as their peers. The community formed by making allows students to realize that their own skills, experience and passion are valuable to a greater project. “It only takes a few steps inside the main gates of Maker Faire to feel the energy between visitor, presenter, inventor, teacher, or simply a passerby. In fact that energy becomes unified when you realize that you all share a common passion: we are all makers.”

Maker Faire is like no other educational event where you can experience artisan woodworkers using century-old tools, collaborative cardboard boats and even life-sized car crushing robots. All made by passionate inventors and makers, ready to share their journey to making their crazy ideas a reality.

This year Brilliant Labs is hosting 55 educators, youth maker-community leaders, and school district coaches from across Atlantic Canada and Jacob is ready and can’t wait. “Our group will be mixing with hundreds, maybe even thousands, of makers each sharing their story of invention. The full effect of Maker Faire won’t be realized until our teachers return to share their experience and watch as their own students realize that they too are makers.”

Carolyn Barnhart, Science Department Head at Fredericton High School shares Jacob’s sentiment in a Facebook post after last year’s NYC Maker Faire “Thank you seems woefully inadequate for all of the opportunities that Brilliant Labs have provided to me and my students. Their passion and enthusiasm inspires you to be a better (and different) teacher for your students…they make the seemingly impossible – possible. It is an exciting time to be an educator in New Brunswick right now. Maker Faire was a career highlight and I cannot wait to share with colleagues and students! Brilliant Labs – “Making” a difference! ”

Marie-Pier Ménard Richard, enseignante à l’École Le Sommet, a exprimé le même sentiment «Merci encore Brilliant Labs / Labos créatifs!! J’ai la tête remplie d’idées! Merci à École Le Sommet et au District scolaire francophone Sud pour leur appui dans ce projet!»

Les membres de la communauté d’apprentissage s’engagent notamment à développer et implanter deux scénarios pédagogiques qui intègrent des pratiques pédagogiques gagnantes ayant recours à une pédagogie active qui approfondi les compétences numériques des élèves tout en approfondissant leur compréhension des contenus d’apprentissage. Les participants ont vécu une expérience riche en échanges, réseautage et inspiration pédagogique. En savoir plus ici.

Join Brilliant Labs this weekend as we share the experiences live on Facebook & Twitter. You may also catch Jacob’s talk through a live streaming September 21st at 2:15. Links will be shared via Facebook, Twitter and this post as they become available.

Congratulations Jacob and safe travels to our Atlantic Canadian educators traveling to the NYC Maker Faire.