SteamHead is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

whose stated goal is to "increase the presence of design in education". SteamHead claims inspiration from the

Maker movement The maker culture is a contemporary subculture representing a technology-based extension of DIY culture that intersects with hardware-oriented parts of hacker culture and revels in the creation of new devices as well as tinkering with existing on ...

and S.T.E.A.M. education. Initiatives credited to SteamHead aim to help communities increase their capacity to "make". Activities are supported sponsors including the

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...

, local charities, and schools. The organization supports local events including MakeFashion Edu and School Maker Faires. It is based out of offices in the United States and a

makerspace A hackerspace (also referred to as a hacklab, hackspace, or makerspace) is a community-operated, often "not for profit" (501(c)(3) in the United States), workspace where people with common interests, such as computers, machining, technology, sc ...

Shenzhen Shenzhen (; ; ; ), also historically known as Sham Chun, is a major sub-provincial city and one of the special economic zones of China. The city is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern province ...

, China. Founded in 2014 as "the Make Club" inside an apartment, it is now in a public space and hosts meetings for the Shenzhen Maker Ed community.

Description

Steam Head offers free space to the education community to exchange information, collaborate, and share. Cross-sections of teachers, students, parents, and educational industry professionals meet hackers, artists, DIY enthusiasts, and educational innovators. MakeFashion Edu Students

Steam Head's main room contains public work tables, and is suited for groups of about a dozen people. The back of a space contains a

3D printer 3D printing or additive manufacturing is the Manufacturing, construction of a three-dimensional object from a computer-aided design, CAD model or a digital 3D modeling, 3D model. It can be done in a variety of processes in which material is ...

room, a media recording room, a tinker's kitchen, storage spaces, an outdoor balcony, and a resident room. The space is equipped with equipment and materials suited to primary school classrooms including about a dozen sets of simple craft tools (scissors, saws, screwdrivers, measuring tapes, etc.), an electronics workbench, a

screen printing Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink (or dye) onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open mes ...

station, power saws drills cutters, a projector, and printers. Member's also have access to additional equipment including 3D printers and a large scale drawing machine. The core team (volunteers) meets monthly to discuss matters relevant to the space, like renovation projects and equipment purchases. There are multiple special interest groups, which meet more regularly and often spontaneously. The space is open every day, usually for 24 hours. Regular members can be thumbprinted for door access rights. The space is on the 2nd floor of an early 2000s Shenzhen building, formerly a commercial floor but now with several spaces converted to loft apartments.

Annual Programs

*Make Fashion Edu: partnering with the Make Fashion team to bring fashion tech initiatives to K-12 students * Nanshan School Maker Faire: partnering with SAIS, Shenzhen American International School, "giving young makers a platform to express themselves" * STEAM Summer Camp: partnering with Moralture to host an annual summer camp focusing on design thinking and making

Reoccurring Programs

* School Volunteers: Steam Head accepts donations and sends volunteers to local migrant schools to bring STEAM education to students and training to teachers * R.ED Resident Educator Program: Education community members are invited to stay in the Shenzhen space for 1 month residencies * After School Classes: Steam Head partners with Moralture to bring workshops to K-8 students Members of the space also participate in local Maker Faires by running workshops and tours, and also send representatives to maker events around the world including Brazil, the U.K., Germany, and Canada.

History

Steam Head makerspace's founding members Benjamin James Simpson, Carrie Leung, Luke Henderson, and Emma Cheung have established the space as a makerspace for Educational R&D. As one of the first maker education spaces in Shenzhen, China, SteamHead found its roots in 2011, organizing free language lessons for manufacturing workers in China's

Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...

and

Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...

provinces. In 2014 Shenzhen the organization began offering science and technology lessons to migrant children. In 2015, they partnered with Litchee Lab to create educational programs and workshops. By 2017 SteamHead had relocated and started a makerspace in Shenzhen, China.

References

External links

* {{Hackerspace Hackerspaces