• raspberry pi

Build a Makerspace for Young People

Find out how to create and run a makerspace for young people. Look at the pedagogy and approaches behind digital making.

8,851 enrolled on this course

Adult volunteers help young people at a makerspace
  • Duration

    3 weeks
  • Weekly study

    2 hours
  • Accreditation

    AvailableMore info
The CPD Certification Service

This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles. Find out more.

Embrace the maker movement - build a makerspace in your community

A makerspace is an area inside a school, library or other public facility, which young people can use to apply digital skills to the real world, exploring ideas and making things collaboratively.

This online course will show you how to create a makerspace in your community. You’ll explore different approaches to makerspaces, understand the pedagogy that underpins the maker movement, and get practical advice on getting started.

By the end of the course, you’ll understand the benefits of embracing making and know how to find partners to help you build a successful makerspace in your community.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 2 seconds Do you want to bring people together to tinker, create, and make in your community? Then this course is for you. You’ll learn about the maker movement and digital making, share ideas and good practice with educators from all around the world, and get practical advice on how to begin. I’m Carrie Anne Philbin, director of education at the Raspberry Pi Foundation, and I’m your lead educator for this course. This course is based on hands-on learning. You’ll be creating projects, sourcing equipment, and developing a plan to pilot a maker space for young people by the end of the course. So join us as we help you build a maker space in your community. Sign up now at rpf.io/makerspace.

What topics will you cover?

  • How to create a makerspace in your community
  • The pedagogy that underpins the maker movement
  • Practical advice to help you get started
  • The different approaches to makerspaces
  • Identifying partners who can help you build a successful makerspace

Who is this accredited by?

The CPD Certification Service
The CPD Certification Service:

The CPD Certification Service was established in 1996 and is the leading independent CPD accreditation institution operating across industry sectors to complement the CPD policies of professional and academic bodies.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explore how to create a makerspace in your community
  • Explore different approaches to makerspaces
  • Discuss the pedagogy that underpins the maker movement
  • Apply practical advice on getting started
  • Identify partners to help you build a successful makerspace in your community

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone who wants to build a makerspace for young people. You might be a school or community librarian, a primary or secondary school teacher, a school governor, a member of a parent-teacher association or a museum education officer.

What software or tools do you need?

To take part in the course learners need access to free programming software Scratch and Python

What do people say about this course?

"Thank you - this has really clarified my thinking about how we can build a makerspace into the museum and the potential it could have for our visitors."

"This is how all teacher education should be, only without the subscription. Nice range of material, collaboration, ideas, and I also like the opportunity to update the proposal presentation as we progressed through the course. Not too demanding on time, but serious enough to be thought provoking."

Who will you learn with?

Training Manager for Raspberry Pi Foundation North America. Find me on Twitter: @ascollins

Who developed the course?

Raspberry Pi Foundation

The Raspberry Pi Foundation works to put the power of digital making into the hands of people all over the world, so they are capable of understanding and shaping our increasingly digital world.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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