Last Year, I was personally invited with other makers from around the country by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to participate in and help facilitate starting the Nation of Makers Organization. The last year has been amazing, and I am continued to be impressed by those in the Maker Community.
I just received my latest email update from Nation of Makers, and, after stepping back, what the Movers and Shakers (or should I coin the phrase “Makers and Shakers”), in the Maker Movement Can Accomplish. Even the White House was amazed on how effective the maker community has been in bringing about this project. Below is an excerpt from the Newsletter and I just needed to celebrate it with everyone else:
The end of the Summer also marks the passage of the one year anniversary of the White House Makerspace Summit. This exciting event held last year became the catalyst for the formation of our organization, and as such, it serves as a great marker to reflect on the past year – we have a lot to celebrate!
It has been an incredible year full of inspiring stories, new and exciting events, and a beautiful growth of our maker community. In this past year, Nation of Makers was able to:
Establish itself as a funded non-profit organization
Assemble a Board of Directors and Advisors
Establish representation from each state via our State Ambassadors
Hire an Executive Director
Lead and coordinate the 2017 National Week of Making
Collaborate with multiple public and private organizations to execute meaningful programming, including awarding eleven communities around the United States with funding to host Maker Town Halls
Participate in several regional NoM community meetings
Attend, participate in, and present at numerous external events including SxSWEdu, the Maker Ed Leadership Summit, Make for the Planet, InfoSys Crossroads, PVDFest, NDIA Manufacturing Division Meeting, MForesight, and the March for Science
Begin collating resources for our upcoming resource library
Begin work towards the growth of our organization via a number of active community working groups
Advocate for and provide guidance on maker legislation within the US Congress
Engage with the Congressional Maker Caucus and National Science and Technology Council Interagency Working Group on Making to encourage and support federal policies that support the maker community
Interact with and support maker organizations, rural and urban, large and small, non-profit and for-profit, throughout the United States and internationally
It is so exciting to think about what we will accomplish going forward together! Thanks to your participation and advocacy, Nation of Makers’ potential is unlimited. In the coming months, keep your eyes peeled for new and exciting ways that YOU can specifically get involved in growing our organization and our community – from setting up organizational profiles, re-activating and joining tiger teams (working groups), helping us set up and build our resource library, working with us to plan our annual convening, and advocating for making within your local community and nationally – there continues to be many ways that each one of you can contribute to growing the Nation of Makers. I look forward to working you in the days, weeks, months, and years to come to make our organization a resource for all!