WhyMaker

Your students want to build something that moves 🤖

The Strawbees STEAM Starter + Robotic Inventions bundle gives them exactly that. Two kits, one mission: design it, build it, code it with micro:bit, and watch it come to life.

What's in the box:
→ Hundreds of straws and connectors for fast prototyping
→ The Robotic Inventions add-on with motors and servos
→ Build challenges that scale from beginner to advanced
→ Full micro:bit compatibility so kids code real movement (micro:bit sold separately)

Perfect for STEAM clubs, makerspaces, and any classroom where you want kids doing more than reading about engineering.

Bundle it. Build it. Code it. Make it move.

Contact [email protected] to place your order!

Banana pianos. Pencil game controllers. Tinfoil drums.

Makey Makey turns the world into a circuit, and your students into inventors.

Contact [email protected] for more info on how to place your order!

Your whole STEM classroom, in one place.

12 trusted brands. One vendor. Faster purchasing through our PEPPM contract.

Contact [email protected] for more info on how to place your order!

Got a sustainability project idea for the 2026-27 school year? There's up to $5,000 with your name on it.

The 11th Annual Sustainability Project Grant is now accepting applications for funding or materials toward:

☀️ Climate education
🚸 School gardens and outdoor space improvements
👩🏻‍⚖️ Environmental justice initiatives
🌱 Climate Action Days

Key dates to lock in:

- Applications open May 13
- Applications close June 22
- Winners announced September 2026

Two free virtual info sessions for school staff:

- Thursday, May 14 from 4 to 5 PM
- Thursday, June 4 from 10 to 11 AM

Apply at bit.ly/GrantHUB

And once you win? We've got the STEM tools, kits, and supplies to bring your project to life. Contact us at [email protected] and turn that grant into a classroom your students will remember.

It's Teacher Appreciation Week. 🍎

And here's something worth thinking about:

📊 Teachers spend an average of $482 of their own money on classroom supplies every year
📊 82% of public schools started the 2024–2025 school year short on staff
📊 K–12 teachers have the highest burnout rate of any profession in the U.S.

Appreciation is good. Support is better.

When companies invest in career-connected curriculum and classroom-ready STEM programs, they're not just helping students. They're giving teachers something just as valuable:

→ Confidence
→ Time back
→ Real industry context they couldn't build on their own

This week, we're celebrating every educator we've had the privilege to work with. And we're challenging the companies in our network to think about what meaningful support looks like, not just in May, but year-round.

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to every teacher shaping the future workforce, one student at a time.

🌎 Changes are coming to the classroom.

With new climate education requirements rolling out through New York State Education Department, schools are being asked to integrate climate and sustainability concepts across subjects.

The opportunity to connect students to real-world issues like energy, sustainability, and climate resilience is powerful.

But the challenge for educators is:
Time, resources, and support to bring this content into your classroom with confidence.

At WhyMaker, we support educators with:
✔ Professional development aligned to new requirements
✔ Standards-aligned, ready-to-use lessons
✔ Real-world connections to energy and climate careers

Because this isn’t just about meeting a mandate, it's about preparing students for the world they’re stepping into.

👉 How are you approaching climate education in your classroom or school?

🌎 It’s Earth Day

In classrooms everywhere, you’re helping students understand the future of our planet.

Here's another important connection: The future of energy could be their future career.

From renewable energy to infrastructure and emerging technologies, these careers are evolving fast, and students need exposure to see where they fit. We believe connecting industry to classrooms through hands-on, real-world learning experiences is how we prepare students. Because when students can see it, they can pursue it.

The future engineers, technicians, and operators behind tne future of energy are sitting in today's classrooms. 🌱

✨ New tools for your classroom ✨

We’ve been listening, and we know the challenge:

How do you bring real-world, engaging learning into your classroom without adding more work to your plate?

Ready-to-use STEM products are the way to go. We’re excited to introduce two new tools now available through WhyMaker:

📘 STEM-Fuse
An all-in-one K–12 subscription with hands-on, standards-aligned lessons that connect what students are learning to real-world applications and careers, across subjects.

🎲 Play-Lü Move
Interactive, movement-based activities that spark curiosity, collaboration, and problem-solving (while keeping students actively engaged and having fun).

These are designed to make it easier to:
✔ Bring career-connected learning into your classroom
✔ Engage students in meaningful, hands-on ways
✔ Save time with ready-to-use resources

Because powerful learning experiences shouldn’t mean more prep.

👉 Curious how these could fit into your classroom? Email [email protected]

🤖 It’s National Robotics Week (April 4 - 12)!

A great opportunity to bring hands-on, future-focused learning into your classroom. Robotics isn’t just about coding or building. It’s about problem-solving, teamwork, and helping students see how STEM connects to real-world careers.

Looking for simple ways to participate?

🔹 Run a design challenge (build a robot with classroom materials or kits)
🔹 Connect robotics to real careers (manufacturing, energy, healthcare, logistics)
🔹 Have students map out how robots are used in everyday life
🔹 Invite a guest speaker or show a short industry video
🔹 Integrate robotics into subjects like math, science, or even writing

The goal isn’t perfection - it’s exposure.

👉 What do you have planned for National Robotics Week?

When people talk about technical skills, they usually mean software or programming languages.

But most technology careers are powered by something deeper. Curiosity. Pattern recognition. Knowing how to investigate an issue without breaking what already works. Understanding risk before making a change.

With technology evolving so quickly, the ability to adapt has become one of the most valuable skills in the field. That changes how we should think about preparing students.

If your organization works in technology and is thinking about the future of its workforce let's talk: https://calendar.app.google/opfwQEpKgR9aLfCNA