Texas A&M University’s PK-12 Engineering Education Outreach office offers Maker U Professional Development. Our engineering design programming equips K-12 educators with strategies to integrate the Engineering Design Process (EDP) and foster an engineering mindset while promoting creative problem-solving and critical thinking. With our engineering technology courses, educators gain hands-on experience with tools like 3D printers, robotics platforms and CAD software. In addition, they learn practical applications for integrating engineering and technology into their classrooms enhancing STEM education.
Maker U is divided into multiple workshops to meet your specific campus needs. See the program details for additional information on individual workshops. Any PK-12 educator in a formal or informal educational setting
Questions? Contact the Spark! Team at spark@tamu.edu.
If you are interested in professional development opportunities for yourself or your fellow educators, please fill out the Professional Development Interest Form. Please note that all district professional development requests should be submitted at least 60 days in advance.
Professional Development Programming
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This professional development from Spark! equips science educators to create lessons aligned to the Scientific and Engineering Practices (SEPs) of the Science TEKS, integrating science understanding and application through the use of engineering practices to design solutions to problems. Educators will engage in hands-on engineering design challenges that demonstrate how these practices can be integrated into effective science instruction.
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Learn how to create engineering design experiences for your gifted and talented students, which include the Depth & Complexity Framework. Experience connecting the Depth & Complexity Icons when problem-solving during engineering design. This six-hour training can be submitted for a school district’s consideration and verification of an educator’s six-hour GT update.
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Participants will learn how to create simple and complex designs and prototypes ready for manufacturing. They will also learn how to access the self-paced learning resources from Autodesk and how to utilize them in the classroom.
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This course will provide participants with a comprehensive Introduction to Industrial Robotics Fundamentals using the Dobot Magician industrial robot arm. In this course, participants will learn Industrial Robot Types, Uses, Robot Mechanics, and Programming methods in Flexible Automation such as Pendant Programming.
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This course inspires teachers to integrate problem-solving, critical thinking, coding and automation into their curriculum using the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Core Set. Teachers will learn to foster important industry and technical skills to prepare students for the competitive workforce while offering more engaging, motivating and relevant educational experiences.
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Participants will be provided with an introduction to robotics design, programming methods and inputs/outputs in a microcontroller. Participants will be able to learn the programming basics in C++ and object-oriented programming and more about Arduino Uno and Arduino Integrated Development Environment.
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Launch K5 Computer Science is a FREE, highly interactive 3-day hybrid workshop designed for K-5 educators. The programming aligns with the new Tech Apps TEKS required to be implemented by the 24-25 school year; integrates computational thinking, computer science, cybersecurity and AI into core curricula; provides K-5 lessons (unplugged and plugged) for teachers to take back to their classrooms; and introduces block-based coding and physical computing to scaffold learning with students. Attendees must work at a Texas school that serves K-5 grade students. Upon successful completion of the program, attendees will receive FREE resources and materials (Kindergarten to second-grade teachers will receive VEX 123 kits and third to fifth-grade teachers will receive micro:bits) for their classrooms to begin their launch into CS and will also receive 18 continuing education hours.
Sign up for our next training sessions: June 25-26 and July 21-22, 2025.
Sign up for our July 7-8, 2025, training session with ESC Region 17 in Lubbock.
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In this course, participants will learn basic Computer-Aided Design (CAD) modeling, how to get started with 3D printing, real-world applications, the actual cost of 3D printing, maintenance and troubleshooting tips. Participants will practice designing, printing and prototyping with a 3D printer.
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This course will provide participants with the foundation to program VEX robotics with Python. Participants will explore inputs and outputs Python programming by building a VEX rover bot that will accomplish various tasks. The VEX EXP platform will be used, but the knowledge gained here is transferable to other VEX platforms such as the VEX V5.
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Youth Engineering Solutions (YES) is a nationally recognized program that helps students build problem-solving skills through hands-on learning in STEM, engineering, and computer science. This TEKS-aligned professional development workshop, offered by Spark! PK-12 Engineering Education Outreach, supports PK–8 educators in bringing engaging engineering lessons into their science classrooms. Led by a Spark! team member trained through the Boston Museum of Science’s YES Training of Trainers (TOT) program, the session provides classroom-ready resources and practical strategies educators can use with confidence. Contact Spark! to schedule a training for your district or learn about upcoming sessions.