Trey Lathe with his husband, Guy Berryessa, and daughters, Emma and Janessa.
Answering President Obama’s call to “Educate to Innovate” and advance student achievement in science and math over the next decade, Maker Ed, a nonprofit organization, was launched in 2012. Answering his own calling, Warren “Trey” Lathe (2012-14 Executive Branch Fellow at National Science Foundation, NSF) has accepted the position of Maker Ed executive director. In his words, Maker Ed’s “mission aligns perfectly with my own passions: educational innovation and broadening participation and access to educational opportunities for children who are too often left out.”
Maker Ed helps youth-serving organizations, afterschool programs, corporations, foundations, and makers grow the Maker Movement by creating more opportunities for young people to develop interest, confidence, and creativity in STEM and art through making. As a fellow at NSF, Lathe served in programs designed to expand the participation of women and minorities in the technology arena, and his involvement with an STPF affinity group had a direct impact on his most recent career move.
My work as a AAAS STPF Fellow was amazing preparation for this position.
“I co-founded the MaDTECHEd (MOOCs, Making, Mobile and other Disruptive Technologies in Education) Affinity Group with Dorothy Jones-Davis (2012-14 Executive Branch Fellow at NSF) to explore the challenges of educational technology. My involvement with the group led to my new position directly in several ways. MaDTECHEd’s activities helped me understand the educational landscape much more deeply. Working on projects such as the “Making Education Great” symposium and the DC Mini-Maker Faire led to my meeting and working with many of the people who became instrumental in recommending me for the position,” said Lathe.
“Maker Ed staff hope to expand our reach to provide support and resources to underserved communities. We currently reach tens of thousands of kids; we hope to raise that profile and reach hundreds of thousands.”