Young inventors, entrepreneurs and DIYers from near and far are being summoned to the White House for its inaugural Maker Faire, which is set to hit 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. later this month.
The White House’s first-ever Maker Faire will be held June 18, BuzzFeed reported, and is hosted by the band OK Go, who rose to fame after its own DIY music video. The event, which was previewed in a February blog post from the White House, aims to inspire young Americans to channel their inner inventor and encourage them to become involved in STEM fields.
“Making can inspire and empower more young people to excel in design and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and to pursue careers making things in manufacturing,” an upcoming White House blog post about the Maker Faire reads, according to BuzzFeed.
In addition to the Maker Faire, which President Barack Obama will attend, the administration is launching a social media campaign using the hashtag #NationofMakers to encourage DIYers from coast to coast to post their own inventions on the White House’s “Day of Making.”
OK Go announced the June 18 Maker Faire in a YouTube video from the White House released Wednesday.
“The White House is having a Maker Faire on June 18. Why are they having a Maker Faire? Because the president likes it when you make stuff,” OK Go singer Damian Kulash says. “…June 18 we’re making stuff. Making stuff — it’s good for OK Go, it’s good for the White House, it’s good for America.”
According to the White House’s February blog post, young entrepreneur Joey Hudy, inventor of the extreme marshmallow cannon and 2014 State of the Union guest, inspired the president’s Maker Faire.
“[I]t will be an opportunity to highlight both the remarkable stories of Makers like Joey and commitments by leading organizations to help more students and entrepreneurs get involved in making things,” the post states.
The Maker Fair is a nationwide event that began in 2006 and is the brainchild of Maker Media, publisher of MAKE magazine. Billed as “part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new,” the event showcases DIY projects, new inventions and blossoming technologies.
