Spatial Reasoning STEM (SRS) Grant Program for School Districts

Vita-Lean and Makers Empire are partnering together to offer school districts in Vermont a unique opportunity to explore new learning approaches to improve and engage teachers and students around STEM subjects. The $5,000 Spatial Reasoning STEM (SRS) Grant aims to provide data to districts as to how proficient their students are around spatial reasoning, which has a direct correlation with interest in STEM careers.

Who is this grant for and what is required?

US public schools districts in Vermont
Ideal grade levels for participating students are Grade 3 to Grade 8
The program runs 6-8 weeks or can be done over an intense shorter period such as a Summer program.
Students are required to spend a minimum of 15+ hours on the platform.
Schools will need to provide a minimum of 2 teachers to participate in the program

When does the 2023 grants program run?

Spring 2023 (end of April – June 23):

Applications close April 24th

Summer 2023 (Summer break):

Applications close May 31st

Fall 2023 (August – October 2023):

Applications close May 31st

What do school districts receive with this grant?

A package valued at $5,000 including:

School districts will receive a series of online facilitator-led professional development training sessions to support teachers with an introduction to Design Thinking and Spatial Reasoning as it relates to STEM including how to use 3D design tools to support their students, with techniques to apply to the curriculum. Additionally, teachers and students will have access to online, self-paced learning resources to support their use of the Makers Empire 3D software.
School teachers and students will also receive free and unlimited access to the Makers Empire 3D learning program for the duration of the program
Ongoing support around implementation and curriculum.
Access to the spatial reasoning measurement tools, to determine the baseline of the student’s skills around Spatial Reasoning.
A final report showing student and teacher dispositions and performance around STEM fields and aptitude.

What is the Makers Empire 3D Learning Program?

Makers Empire is an award-winning STEM program that utilizes 3D design to teach the engineering design process and is curriculum aligned. Students use our fun and easy-to-use gamified 3D design app proven by research to improve STEM learning outcomes. Teachers use the accompanying Teacher Dashboard, which has class management and assessment tools, 150+ curriculum-aligned lesson plans, professional development, resources, videos, and more. It includes:

Makers Empire 3D Software

The Makers Empire 3D design app is the world’s most fun and easy to use 3D design app, built specifically for 5-12YO children. Within an immersive, fun and safe learning environment, children are motivated to create, learn, collaborate and share their designs.

Teacher Dashboard

The accompanying Makers Empire Teacher Dashboard planning, class management and assessment tools and resources. We’ve included everything that teachers will need to teach effectively and efficiently with 3D technology to save you time.

Professional Development

We create sustainable and scaleable learning networks. with our PD programs. We build teacher capacity using evidence-based maker pedagogies and support teacher understanding of design thinking in addressing curriculum outcomes.

Curriculum Aligned

Teachers can access themed, curriculum-aligned challenge courses and lesson plans, or create their own design missions. Teachers can easily monitor and assess their students’ work in Challenge Courses using our built-in assessment tools.

What is the evidence of impact?

A number of research studies in Australia and America have demonstrated the impact that Makers Empire’s approach to learning is having on learning outcomes for students.

Research by Johns Hopkins shows that a person’s spatial reasoning skill is a key indicator of their future STEM success. Spatial reasoning is the capacity to establish relationships between objects and understand how they interact and look from different perspectives and environments. It is a key skill for jobs in STEM and can be improved but, until recently, we have had no way to measure it in children or to track changes.

Now, 2022 Australian research using a recently developed spatial reasoning measuring instrument shows that using Makers Empire helps primary students significantly improve their spatial reasoning skills as well as reducing STEM anxiety and improving attitudes towards STEM.

Moreover, improvements in spatial reasoning skills were more pronounced in females. There was also a significant improvement in female students’ self efficacy – that is, they believed in their own abilities more, which is an important factor in STEM engagement.