The Magic of Making, One Cut at a Time

Carefully cutting a paper roll with a pair of scissors, a Grade 1 student works with determination and newfound confidence. This isn't just any creation. He and his classmates will be using scissors, a hot glue gun, and recycled materials to make an iPad stand.

After a detailed orientation introducing the MakerSpace from STEAM Coach Phú Hua and his teaching assistant, Ms. Mai, these first graders are ready to take on this exciting project in the dedicated Elementary School MakerSpace. 

Scenes like this play out daily in the elementary school Makerspace, a place that embodies our hands-on STEAM education philosophy. With the guidance of expert educators, like Mr. Phú and Ms. Mai, students’ natural curiosity takes to a stage that is set for exploration and discovery—key traits of every great innovator!

“I get to use a hot glue gun all by myself,” Abel proudly shares while using the hot glue gun to attach the cardboard roll to the base independently, just like they’ve been shown. During this class, Grade 1 students are being introduced to the MakerSpace for the first time. They will be able to visit independently during their recess breaks. 

Learning how to use the basic tools available to them in the MakerSpace is also preparing them for bigger projects later in the school year. As they become more familiar with the space and tools, they will take on even more ambitious tasks during recess and their Super Units. This gradual process builds both confidence and skill.

"Seeing a child's face light up when they successfully complete a project they've designed themselves—that's what it's all about," says Mr. Phú, our dedicated Elementary School STEAM Coach. "We're not just teaching them to use tools; we're helping them build confidence, the design cycle, resilience, and problem-solving skills."

Starting the Journey of Discovery

From elementary school Super Units to High School Design challenges, students at SSIS learn how to properly identify the problem, collect information, come up with ideas for solutions, and test them out to see what works. Equally important is learning how to express those ideas, like when Grade 4 students proudly explain their solar ovens to their wide-eyed Kindergarten buddies, or high schoolers brainstorm solutions to real-world problems in the STEAM Design Center.

Highly skilled educators create the nurturing environment required for students to gain the confidence that allows them to, from a very young age, transform their ideas into reality. This environment showcases our commitment to fostering the innovators and problem-solvers of tomorrow and even recently led to SSIS being recognized as an Apple Distinguished School. 

Cultivating Future Changemakers

As the Grade 1 students' lesson comes to an end, the students share their finished projects, beaming with pride at what they’ve learned to make using their new skills and access to their new space. Each student has added a page to their book of growing independence and the lesson that they have the ability to shape the world around them. 

"I believe in nurturing a generation of creators—innovators who shape the world with their ideas, rather than simply consuming what's been built for them," concludes Mr. Phú. And that is certainly true, here in the buzzing heart of the Elementary School MakerSpace.

A special thank you to Mr. Phú and Ms. Mai for the wonderful MakerSpace introduction video, featured above!