Skip to main content
Meet the Maker Educator

Meet the Maker Educator: Désirée

By May 8, 2018No Comments

KID Museum’s Maker Educators are highly-trained and extremely busy — they develop innovative new programs and workshops, teach the school groups that come in every day, and design and facilitate camps, after-school programs, and weekend activities. They serve as mentors to our high school apprentices and our high school coding corps, and as inspiration to the thousands of children and families that visit KID Museum each year.

1. Where are you from?

Gaithersburg/Rockville, MD

2. Do you have a favorite workshop or program you helped develop?

The Green Screen Magic camp we offered during Spring Break. It combines my love of videography, animation, and learning about interesting places around the world.

3. Are there any workshops or classes in the works that you’re excited about?

Yes! I have been developing both low-tech and high-tech animation workshops, and am currently teaching an after-school program called Animation Lab where we’re really emphasizing animation through making. Kids begin by making flip books, zoetropes, mutoscopes, and more, then advance to stop motion animation techniques.

4. Is there something you’ve made that you’re most proud of?

I was pretty happy with how my two-year-old son’s Halloween costume turned out last year – a handmade Dumbo the Elephant costume – too cute!

5. What’s your preferred prototyping method?

By hand – all the way!

6. What’s one of your favorite inventions?

I love my Roomba, dishwasher, and any other invention that cleans for me while I’m at work. Makes the life of a working mom that much easier!

7. Why did you decide to go into education, or more specifically, maker education?

Education is the bedrock of our society. The things we teach our children now will impact the future of all humankind. So why not instill the skills and values inherent to maker education– things like grit, creativity, agency, confidence, and curiosity?

8. If you had to choose another career, what would you do?

I helped set up a community radio station in this area (Takoma Park, MD) and would love to set up stations like that around the world, particularly in places where the people’s voice needs amplification.

9. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from a teacher?

Every Friday, as we went into the weekend, my chemistry teacher would remind us about the impact of our choices–that the smallest decisions can change your life drastically. I couldn’t help but hear his silly, frazzled voice whenever I was about to make a questionable decision!

10. Do you have a favorite thing to do outside of KID?

Exploring in the woods with my son–it’s the best!