The Chevron Fab STEM Fellowship 2023 Reflections - SCOPES Digital Fabrication
Fellowship

The Chevron Fab STEM Fellowship 2023 Reflections

 

About The Chevron Fab STEM Fellowship

 

The Chevron Fab STEM Fellowship is a one year discovery program for outstanding educators to learn about, create, and promote innovative and inclusive programs that teach STEM using digital fabrication in efforts to  engage new and underrepresented student populations in STEM education and careers. The Fab Foundation and Chevron Corporation have partnered to create this new fellowship program that supports STEM educators across the world.

The Chevron Fab STEM Fellowship was awarded to Nathan Pritchett of Tulsa, Oklahoma and to Pieter Verduijn of Calabas, Aruba. This Fellowship provided each of them with a stipend of $10,000 to use toward creating and disseminating new, inclusive practices around STEM education. The fellows have visited Fab Labs of their choice to learn, to reflect, to co-create new curriculum and disseminate new practices. Their work has been documented in podcasts, online blogs and presented at conferences and educational events. Read below to learn more about their work!



Pieter verduijin

Bio: Born in the Netherlands, Pieter Verduijn is a multilingual educator with 18 years of work experience in the Dutch, Aruban and American education system. His colleagues refer to him as the “jack of all trades” as he combines his talents to create and implement engaging STEAM lessons in his makerspace. In addition to teaching, Pieter works to progress the maker movement in Aruba and globally by organizing teacher trainings and projects for the youth. Having children fabricate their imagination is key to his teaching philosophy.  Pieter Verduijn has a Bachelor’s Degree in Childhood Education and Behavioral Sciences as well as an extensive 3D printed Star Wars collection.

Check out his website: https://sites.google.com/isaruba.com/mrpietercom-steam/home of particular interest, and what won him the Fellowship was the Art Toys work.

Pieter’s first visit was to Roberto Gallo at FabLab ZOI in Quito, Ecuador.
View the lesson they worked on together:

 



Nathan Pritchett

Nathan Pritchett is the Executive Director of Fab Lab Tulsa, a non-profit makerspace located in the Kendall-Whittier neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma that provides community, education, workforce, and business programming that teaches innovation, design-thinking, problem-solving and change-making, together with open and equitable access to 21st advanced manufacturing and digital fabrication tools, equipment, and technology. Mr. Pritchett is a technologist and futurist, guiding the organization’s vision of maker culture, as well as targeted outreach programs that empower the current and future makers of Tulsa.

Videos of the work for which he won the Fellowship:(140) TPS summer program hosts electric car race – YouTube
Fab Lab Tulsa to showcase Green Power Racing program with 2 demonstration races | KTUL

Nathan’s first visit was to the Central Coast Mobile Fab Lab in Monterey, housed at the Monterey County Office of Education. Sean True is the fab lab manager, and Emiliano Vladez is the Director, MCAET – Media Center for Art, Education, and Technology (which hosts the mobile fab lab).
Give his CCMFL podcast a listen: