Robert D. Wachtel Pronovost

From Classroom to Systems Change

My path in maker education started where real learning happens—in the classroom. As an elementary teacher in Ravenswood City School District, I saw firsthand how hands-on, creative learning could transform students who had been told they weren't "academic."

That experience drove me to think bigger. I moved into district leadership, building out an entire system of makerspaces and eventually leading STEAM initiatives across San Mateo County's 23 school districts.

Now, with my PhD research complete, I bring both practitioner wisdom and scholarly rigor to the question that drives all my work: How do we make maker education truly accessible to every student?