Why can’t we all be Makers?
Maker Faire Miami is a celebration of the people, tools, and technologies that are creating and reinventing the city. It’s a day to see the entire spectrum of creative energy that is pushing our city forward towards a better future. Be it a new civic project by professionals, a university research initiative, or the casual hobbyist just showing off some new skills — it’s a forum for sharing, learning, and creating new things.
After five years the Maker Faire has grown from a Mini Maker Faire in The Lab Miami to a fantastic international event at Miami Dade College and is one of the top featured Maker Faires of over several hundred across the United States and the world. This achievement is a testament to all of the hard work Ric and the team at MANO have done to date. As the Faire continues to grow and develop, I am proud to take on the role as one of the Producers and help lead the next five years. I decided to take on this opportunity because I see how the Maker Faire, and our local maker community, can play a vital part in shaping a more resilient, inclusive, and prosperous Miami.
As our world rapidly changes with exponential technologies, shifting climates, and new economies — we must prepare our society to harness these new tools to navigate the many challenges and build the right solutions. The digital divide continues to grow, and the cities that succeed in this new world will be the ones that best adapt and actively work on closing that gap — giving everyone the chance to play a role in shaping their futures through technology. Though many headlines may focus on the number of jobs that will be lost to artificial intelligence and robotics, there will be an abundance of incredible opportunities and job titles that we can’t even imagine yet — and if history has taught us anything, it’s that the best way to predict the future is to create it.
So why is maker culture important? Because makers come in all types and styles — they may be inventors, builders, designers, musicians, coders, cooks, etc. but they all share some core values: They are resourceful, lifelong learners, collaborative, problem solvers, and think systemically. These are the skills that will prepare us for a future with so many variables. That is why many companies have begun to prioritize STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics) fields to train their staff — and why STEAM professions are often among the highest paid salaries on average.
My focus in this next chapter for Maker Faire Miami is to spread the maker mindset across the city and to empower people and organizations across South Florida with the resources they need to join the movement. This starts with the students. I have already been hard at work putting together a team that represents a cross-section of these STEAM disciplines to bring their knowledge and expertise to the classrooms and inspire our next generation of Makers. Students will learn valuable skills through hands-on projects, real-world challenges, and with the latest technologies. For high school and college students, we will host meetups and workshops that create informal learning environments where skills can be shared, and projects can flourish collaboratively. For professionals, we will work on building public/private partnerships that include the community in the process for solving some of our cities biggest challenges like sea level rise, transportation, affordable housing, and sustainable urban agriculture.
So this is an open call to all creators — to the teachers, students, and professionals who want to learn, share and collaborate. Showcase your work at Maker Faire Miami. However, beyond the Maker Faire, I want to cultivate the necessary resources year round so reach out with your thoughts and needs. I will be working to connect the tech community and civic leaders in Miami and Broward to create an infrastructure for innovation to help mentor, teach and inspire future makers. Join me on this mission to spread the maker movement and to build the future of South Florida we all wish to see.
Original post From Mario The Maker
Amazing schedule of Maker Talks @ MDC Live Arts!
Saturday, April 7th
12:00pm – 12:45pm “Public Space Challenge Creative Workshop” | Marta Visiedo – The Miami Foundation & Urban Impact Lab
1:00pm – 1:45pm “Building a Culinary and Artistic Experience in Havana” | Enrique Núñez – Founder, La Guarida
2:00pm – 2:45pm “Sharing Cities: Activating the Urban Commons” | Neal Gorenflo – Executive Director, Shareable
3:00pm – 3:45pm “The Future Depends on Developers and Makers” | Ian Bernstein – Founder & Head of Product, Misty Robotics
Sunday, April 8th
12:00pm – 12:45pm “How The Plastic Waste Crisis Inspires Zero-waste Communities” | Anastasia Mikhalochkina – Founder, LeanOrb; Co-founder, Miami Is Not Plastic
1:00pm – 1:45pm “The Internet of Things for Everyone” | Rodolfo Saccoman, CEO & Founder, MATRIX Labs
2:00pm – 2:45pm “Ethics of Engineering in Artificial Intelligence” | Torben Friehe – Founder, 1aim; Co-founder, Good Technology Collective
3:00pm – 3:45pm “Engaging Girls in Making” | Laine Powell, Executive Director, Tech Sassy Girlz
Save the Date! Maker Faire Miami Returns April 7 and 8, 2018
Once again, Miami Dade College and MANO Americas will host Maker Faire Miami on Saturday and Sunday, April 7 & 8, 2018, at the Wolfson Campus in downtown Miami. Produced in association with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Maker Media, the festival will feature inventions and interactive exhibits across the spectrum of science, engineering, art and craft.
Our Call for Makers is now open and available here!
Maker Faire Miami is a festival of innovation, creativity and resourcefulness for all ages that celebrates the global Maker Movement. The original Miami “Mini” Maker Faire was held in 2013 and has grown into the premier gathering space for makers and DIY innovators in South Florida. Now Miami has joined an elite band of 35 cities around the world to host larger-scale Maker Faires, including San Mateo, Rome, Paris, Tokyo, Atlanta, New York and Shenzhen.
The most recent Maker Faire featured makers from Spain and Latin America as part of its 140 exhibitors. Popular exhibits included virtual reality, drone racing, Lego cities, self-driving vehicles and a robotics competition. The two-day event also included a master class with famous DJ Kid Koala and a series of maker talks on building locally-productive cities, making sustainable chocolate and driverless cars, among others.
Maker Faire Miami is independently organized and operated under license from Maker Media, Inc.
For more information, contact Isabel Artime at 305-237-3960, iartime@mdc.edu
MANO Americas contact: Ric Herrero, 305-905-9452, ric@manoamericas.org
Save the Date! Miami Dade College to Host Maker Faire Miami April 8 – 9, 2017
Miami, Friday, December 5, 2016 – For the first time, Miami Dade College (MDC), in partnership with MANO Americas, and in association with Maker Media, will host Maker Faire Miami on Saturday and Sunday, April 8 – 9, 2017, at its Wolfson Campus in downtown Miami. The event will feature inventions and interactive exhibits across the maker movement spectrum, from technology to industrial arts, science, arts, music, crafts, and more!
Maker Faire Miami is an all-ages festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness that celebrates the maker movement. The original Miami “Mini” Maker Faire was launched in 2013 and has grown into the premier gathering space for makers and DIY innovators in South Florida. Now with Maker Faire Miami, our city is joining an elite band of 30 cities around the world to host larger-scale Maker Faires in 2017, including Rome, Paris, Tokyo, Atlanta, New York and Shenzhen.
The most recent Faire also featured makers from Cuba and Argentina as part of its 120 exhibitors, and attracted approximately 5,000 guests, as well as international corporations, such as Microsoft. The two-day event also included a series of maker talks and a concert for internationally renowned music makers. Next year, Maker Faire Miami is projected to be even bigger, as it will convene makers from Latin America, Spain and Portugal to fulfill its vision as a true “Maker Faire of the Americas.” The Call for Makers is now open and available at miami.makerfaire.com/call-for-makers/application.
MDC Media-only contacts: Juan Mendieta, MDC director of communications, 305-237-7611, jmendiet@mdc.edu; Hessy Fernandez, MDC Media Relations director, 305-237-3949, hfernan5@mdc.edu; Sue Arrowsmith, 305-237-3710, sue.arrowsmith@mdc.edu, or Allison Horton, 305-237-3359, ahorton2@mdc.edu. MANO Americas contact: Ric Herrero, 305-905-9452, ric@manoamericas.org
Maker Faire Miami is independently organized and operated under license from Maker Media, Inc.
MAKER FAIRE IS COMING TO MIAMI!
Miami, FL – The first annual Miami Mini Maker Faire will take place on Saturday, November 16, 2013, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, at the LAB Miami in Wynwood.
Maker Faire is an all-ages gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, makers, engineers, tinkerers and artists who get together to show their creations and share what they have learned. It’s a festival of do-it-yourself creativity, innovation and resourcefulness in celebration of the Maker Movement.
Anyone who embraces the DIY spirit and wants to share their accomplishments with an appreciative audience should complete our Call to Makers application at makerfairemiami.com by September 30th.
The original Maker Faire event was held in San Mateo, CA and in 2013 celebrated its eighth annual show with some 900 makers and 120,000 people in attendance. World Maker Faire New York, the other flagship event, has grown in three years to 500+ makers and 55,000 attendees. Detroit, Kansas City, Newcastle (UK), Rome, and Tokyo are the home of “featured” 2013 Maker Faires (200+ makers), and community-driven, independently organized Mini Maker Faires are now being produced around the United States and the world—including right here in Miami.
The Miami Mini Maker Faire will be a smaller, community-focused event, and will feature both established and emerging local “makers” specializing in DIY technology, arts and crafts, including hardware hacking, 3D printing, robotics, handmade goods, urban farming and sustainability, alternative energy, apparel, artistic performances, craft food and drink, and educational workshops and installations.
The Greater Miami area has a long tradition of DIY ingenuity and tinkering. Miami Mini Maker Faire is a place for inventors, artists, thinkers, and learners to get together and share their passions and ideas with their community. It is a place to inspire the next generation of makers.
Tickets are available now on makerfairemiami.eventbrite.com. To apply to perform, or present your project at the Miami Mini Maker Faire, visit makerfairemiami.com, and get the latest updates on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. Makers and creators will be listed and featured on the Miami Mini Maker Faire website as of early October.
For inquiries, please email us at miamimakers@gmail.com.
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