From 3D printing programs to robot coding, creative software integration and iterative design programs, schools are investing in makerspaces to drive student success.

For example, students in Smithfield, Va., are using 3D printers to create hydraulic claws that help tackle a real-world problem: trash. In Boulder County, Colo., students at Dawson School have access to a makerspace equipped with 3D printers, a laser cutter and computers. The school is undergoing an expansion that includes a 24,500-square-foot, three-floor innovation center slated to open by fall.

But what’s powering this shift? How are schools iterating on the makerspace model, and what educational best practices make this mandate work?

It’s part of a push to encourage the four C’s — creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking — among students and give them the science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) foundation they need to develop skills that stick, even when school is over.