A crowd of 30,000 makers and tinkerers descended upon the Decatur Square on October 3 and 4 for Maker Faire Atlanta, a celebration of the Maker Movement and a family friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness. For the second straight year, TCS hosted the popular Innovator’s Playground, a unique maker space created especially for elementary students, with a wide range of exhibitors, activities and performances for all ages to experience and enjoy.
The Innovator’s Playground won three Blue Ribbons at the 2015 Maker Faire, including a Blue Ribbon for the overall Playground area, one for the MODA (Museum of Design Atlanta) display and one for our TCS Drum Circle (we were innovative enough to use Home Depot buckets for drums!).
Some of the most popular attractions at the Innovator’s Playground this year included the IKEA “Make It, Take It” Challenge, in which children and their families put together various creations and were then able to take the items home; the Toothless Shark Tank, in which students presented their inventions and ideas to a panel of not-so-ruthless judges; the Younger Performers Showcase, which encouraged the younger set to sing, dance or perform in any way; and the Nerdy Derby exhibit, where children made their own cars and raced them on a track.
The Innovator’s Playground also included a Mad Housers build site. Over the course of two days, with materials donated by TCS and The Home Depot, children and their families BUILT A HOME that will be donated to a displaced family in Atlanta in the coming months.
A huge thank you to our TCS students, families and friends and our 2015 Innovator’s Playground sponsors: Acuity Brands, Adonai Desserts, Atlanta Girls School, Atlanta Technical College, Bond Intelligent Care, IKEA, MODA, SouthWest Atlanta Youth Business Organization, The Howard School, Veterans Empowerment Organization, Woodward Academy and Zoo Atlanta, for making this year’s Innovator’s Playground come to life.
