Summit Academy Charter School, a college-preparatory charter school in Red Hook, hosted its inaugural Maker Faire on March 11 in partnership with PAVE Academy Charter School, offering a hands-on celebration of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit.
The school’s founder, Dr. Natasha Campbell, told Brooklyn Paper that the idea for the Maker Faire was born after the school held a STEM celebration, which Dr. Campbell described as a “huge success.” The students were so immersed in their hands-on projects that they didn’t want to return to their classrooms, Campbell said, noting that Black and Brown students are significantly underrepresented in STEM fields — according to the National Science Foundation Board, only 8% of Black or African Americans are represented in STEM occupations.
“[Students] really are invested in STEM, which, unfortunately, many kids of color are not involved in,” Campbell said. “If you look at those career paths, we are not heavily represented. So, coming from STEM Day, we said it would be pretty awesome if we could extend this and make a full Maker’s Faire where kids are allowed to create, and they can solve a problem by using art, technology, or science.”
Event activities included projects such as DNA extraction from strawberries, cosmetic chemistry and robots that students were allowed to take home, as well as the showcasing of student-designed projects ranging from science and technology prototypes to engineering builds, business concepts, creative arts and hands-on innovations. Student-designed projects included a prosthetic arm, a study about how music impacts the ability to focus — slow-tempo classical music has a positive effect on focus, unlike upbeat tunes — an art mural of famous Red Hook residents, a sustainability project, recycling old clothes into doll outfits, and an educational video game that students coded and designed.
“This event is about more than projects — it’s about possibility,” said Dr. Natasha Campbell. “Our scholars are learning to think critically, take initiative, and transform ideas into action. With colleges, universities, and STEAM professionals present, our students can see firsthand how their innovation connects to future opportunities.”
Campbell noted that the students were thoughtful in the planning and execution of their projects.
“It was to spark an interest in the science and engineering field, but in an authentic way. It’s authentic when kids get to do, as opposed to when they just listen,” Campbell said. “They left feeling excited about science, which is a very big deal. There were some kids who said, ‘I didn’t realize science was fun.’ Or others said, ‘I didn’t realize how science is connected to real life.’”
Additionally, six colleges and universities provided students and families with information on higher-education pathways, admissions, scholarships and STEAM academic programs.
The event reaffirmed that exposure to STEAM and STEM fosters a love of science, technology, engineering, math and art while broadening students’ horizons and allowing them to make informed decisions about their future, Campbell said.
“Kids who maybe were never going to look at NYIT are now thinking, ‘I want to pursue engineering, and this would be an amazing school for me to do that,” Campbell said.
Summit Academy serves 281 students in grades 6–12, and its curriculum is designed to raise student performance and achieve college-readiness goals, including Regents-level courses such as Algebra I, Living Environment, U.S. History and Government, and Spanish for eighth graders, as well as Advanced Placement (AP) courses for high school students.
“Everything we do revolves around preparing young people to get into, excel, and then graduate from college. We found that the kids in Red Hook have great aspirations, as all kids do, but they weren’t necessarily getting the academic foundation they needed to be successful,” Campbell explained. “Our school was created to bridge that gap, to ensure that whatever they aspire to do, they could do, because we are preparing them for a future outside of high school or middle school.”
