NEW: Makerspace Funding Allocation Policy is LIVE.
The Katinnganiq Makerspace Network has released its first edition of the Makerspace Funding Allocation Policy in both English and Inuktitut, found here:
KMN Funding Allocation Policy – Inuktitut – Nov 2021
KMN Funding Allocation Policy – English – Nov 2021
The Makerspace Funding Allocation Policy guides the allocation of makerspace funding with transparency, equitability, and flexibility being amongst the foremost considerations built into the policy.
Stay tuned for the application forms & online submission portal(s)!
Makerspaces in Nunavut
Our model for Makerspaces in Nunavut is focused on building pathways to life promotion and mental wellness for youth firmly grounded in Indigenous values by nurturing creativity, fostering agency and building positive relationships while engaging in the expanded field of technology at the intersection of art, culture, science and education.
- Can be hubs for science, technology, engineering, arts, math and digital-based education, critical thinking, experimentation and knowledge-sharing.
- Amplify Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit principles such as collaboration, creativity and problem-solving.
- Can provide internet connectivity, programmed workshops, tools and resources for children, youth and adults in each community.
Challenge Statement
Our communities will implement protective and preventative measures to reduce the risk of suicide in Nunavut, which is ten times the national average, and increase the amount and accessibility of peer support networks, educational resources and creative outlets that promote positive mental health to all Nunavummiut.
The Katinnganiq: Community, Connectivity, and Digital Access for Life Promotion in Nunavut proposal, submitted on behalf of the 25 municipalities of Nunavut, is a multifaceted and collaborative effort to create both digital and physical spaces that offer opportunities for our youth to connect with each other, learn skills, be creative and express themselves in a safe environment.
The goal is to improve youth health and wellness by teaching new skills, improving sense of agency, fostering positive peer and adult relationships, connecting with culture and identity, and providing new creative outlets while engaging with data and connected technology as pathways to mental wellness.
What is a Makerspace?
Makerspaces are gathering places for people of all ages and of all backgrounds to come together to share, learn, create, experiment, play and have fun. They will be spaces for healthy living that integrate Inuit culture, knowledge and technology while providing:
- A safe and warm space for youth – somewhere to go and something to do
- A welcoming environment
- Tools, resources, workshops, curriculum and open-ended projects
- Opportunities to learn new skills and endless possibilities to create
- An outlet for creativity and expression
Makerspaces support fun, freedom, esteem, love and belonging, where the overall goal is to change the relationship with technology from consumption to creation founded on Inuit values.
Why Makerspaces?
As a gathering space in each community, Makerspaces have the capacity to bring both youth and Elders together to share knowledge, work on projects and learn new skills. Makerspaces will enable an environment of play and experimentation, where youth have the tools to build and create their own experiences in their own language, build capacity and increase opportunities. These spaces will provide safe and nurturing environments where curriculum that addresses technology and tool making from an Inuit perspective can:
- Teach new skills
- Improve sense of agency
- Foster positive relationships between participants (peers and adults)
- Connect with culture and identity
- Provide new creative outlets
