How it works

How we turn your goals into meaningful learning.

You know your industry. We know how students learn. Together, we build experiences that connect the two, with a clear process from the first conversation to what comes next.

Five connected steps. Built with you, at every stage.

  1. Align
  2. Plan
  3. Design
  4. Implement
  5. Review

Followed through a real partnership

Minneapolis Public Schools: Scaling STEM & Computational Thinking with Purpose

With Sphero and The Cargill Foundation, WhyMaker took this project through all five steps. Follow it, step by step, below.

Align

Start with the change you want to make.

We learn about your industry, your community, and the challenge you want to address. Together, we connect your goals with the needs of the students and educators you want to reach.

WhyMaker leads

A conversation about your needs, audience, and what a meaningful outcome would look like.

You bring

Your priorities, industry perspective, and what you already know about your community.

We move forward with: a shared purpose and a clear audience.

Plan

Give the idea a practical path forward.

We bring together educational experts suited to your needs, define the work, and establish a schedule and budget. You review the proposal so everyone understands the approach before we begin creating.

WhyMaker leads

The project approach, educational team, proposed scope, schedule, and budget.

You bring

Your resources, practical constraints, and input and approval on the proposal.

We move forward with: an agreed plan for what we are creating and how.

Design

Make your industry something students can explore.

We translate your expertise into a personalized learning solution. Activities, explanations, and resources connect your goals with real situations students can investigate. Your feedback helps us keep the content accurate, relevant, and aligned.

WhyMaker leads

Learning design, accessible explanations, and the resources that bring the idea to life.

You bring

Relevant field examples and feedback on industry accuracy, relevance, and fit.

We move forward with: a learning experience shaped around the goals we set together.

Implement

Bring the experience into the real world.

We deliver your personalized education solution and its accompanying resources. Whether the work centers on a classroom experience, a custom activity, or educator support, we help put it into practice and adjust as needed within the agreed scope.

WhyMaker leads

Delivery of the agreed solution, resource sharing, and implementation support.

You bring

Coordination with the people involved in delivery and feedback on practical use.

We move forward with: the agreed resources delivered, with support for putting them into practice.

Review

Use what you learn to shape what's next.

We share a report and feedback, reflect on the work against your original goals, and discuss future needs. The review connects what we set out to do with what we can learn from the experience.

WhyMaker leads

Reporting, reflection, and recommendations for future needs.

You bring

Your perspective on the partnership and available feedback from the people using the resources.

We move forward with: shared learning and a direction for the next conversation.

Good collaboration leaves room to revisit.

The steps give us direction, with room to adjust. A design conversation can sharpen the original goal. A review can reveal a new need.

A shared process. A solution shaped around you.

The five phases give us a consistent way to collaborate. The depth of each phase and the resources we deliver depend on your goals and the partnership you choose.

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Do I need a fully formed idea?
No. Start with the challenge, audience, or opportunity you have in mind. Align is where we work together to clarify the need and define a useful direction.
How are the schedule and budget set?
During Plan, we consider the scope, resources, and practical constraints together. The proposal establishes the schedule and budget for your project before we move forward.
What will my organization receive?
Deliverables depend on your partnership: a classroom experience, a community needs assessment, custom STEM activity development, or an educator training program. We define your specific resources and responsibilities in the proposal. For custom STEM activity development, physical kits and materials are purchased separately.
What happens after delivery?
Review gives us a chance to share feedback, reflect on the agreed goals, and discuss future needs. That conversation can point to a refinement, another audience, or a new learning opportunity.

Your next step is a conversation.

Tell us what you want students to understand about your industry. We will help you find a place to begin.

Let's build it together Ways to partner