Royal Ontario Museum – Making with the ROM!

This booth will showcase examples of maker and participatory activities that are a part of ROM offerings for youth of all ages and will invite Maker Festival visitors to make something with us! The Royal Ontario Museum has incorporated hands-on making activities in our kids’ programs since the start of our Saturday Club 77 years ago! As part of public engagement efforts, the ROM is designing unique experiences that allow new audiences to relate to our research and collections, through co-creation and collaboration. We aim to encourage STEM and STEAM learning through interactive programs that incorporate 21st century engagement principles e.g., the ROM Game Jam, a weekend video game ‘hackathon’; Ontario BioBlitz, a Citizen Science Program. We’re currently in the process of creating the ROM Makerspace: a process-oriented space that will enable students to problem-solve, make, create, and collaborate (to open in September, 2016). We are also running the “Club STEAM” program, an off-site afterschool program in partnership with the St. Alban’s Boy’s and Girl’s Club that focusses on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math activities inspired by the ROM’s collections.

We will offer a range of hands-on activities, for example: