$200,000 CTE Makeover Challenge Kicks Off
The United States Department of Education has announced a new competition called the Career Technical Education (CTE) Makeover Challenge.
The CTE Makeover Challenge will award a total of $200,000, as well as additional in-kind awards, to up to 10 winners. The competition calls of high school educators to submit proposals for makerspaces in their schools, either new spaces or renovations of existing spaces, and describe how the new design would impact students.
According to ED: "The CTE Makeover Challenge builds on the Administration's Nation of Makers initiative, launched in 2014 by the White House as an all-hands-on-deck call to give many more students, entrepreneurs and citizens access to a new class of technologies allowing them to build just about anything. Specifically, the Challenge calls upon eligible high schools to design models of 'makerspaces' — formalized spaces for making things. These unique facilities may be classrooms, libraries and mobile spaces, all of which will provide resources for students to create and learn through making. The locations are ideal spaces for students to gain essential 21st-century career skills, such as critical thinking, planning, and communication."
A webinar will be held March 17 to explain the competition. Applications are being accepted now and are due April 1.
Awards will be announced in June at the annual National Maker Faire in Washington, DC. Further information about the competition can be found at ctemakeoverchallenge.com.