Polk County News
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • November 1, 2017 7A
Innovate: OnlineNW teams up for Makeathon
Continued from Page 1A
He said the group formed
in response the need to train
a workforce for the emerg-
ing technology and innova-
tion-based economy.
The group also learned
that there was no one-size-
fits all approach to changing
education.
“To do that, we needed to
help create local strategies
for infrastructure, talent,
community and business
development for each com-
munity,” Morrison said.
Morrison said Richardson
participated an Innovate
Oregon’s training last spring
and said Richardson said he
wanted to put the new con-
cepts on display for the Dal-
las community to see.
“Given that experience,
he asked us to bring a make-
a-thon to Dallas for others
to begin to understand the
potential of this new mind-
set to transform education,”
Thompson said.
Richardson said the bene-
fit of having Innovate Ore-
gon and its partners lead the
make-a-thon is that teach-
ers and staff members can
participate as “students” in-
stead of instructors.
“I think our staff get to
play a little bit on that day,”
Richardson said.
Business owners, city
leaders and average citizens
are invited to join in the
learning, too. Dallas’ event is
drawing executives from
IBM and Nike, Foscoli said.
Richardson said about 50
participants have signed up
as of Monday, but it could
take as many as 60.
Foscoli said the experi-
ence changed his perspec-
tive on education and the
younger generation.
“We just underestimate
kids a lot. The make-a-thon
made me realize that they
have a lot to offer, we just
have to give them the op-
portunity to do so,” he said.
Saturday could be the
start in a long-term relation-
ship between OnlineNW
and Dallas, as well.
The company participat-
ed in Innovate events in
Dayton and Willamina and
found enough support to
bring their high-speed inter-
net service — 10-gig — to
those communities.
In turn, OnlineNW do-
nates a portion of its pro-
ceeds in those cities to an
“innovation” fund in each
community.
OnlineNW is well-estab-
lished in Yamhill County and
Photo courtesy of LaCreole Middle School/ for the Itemizer-Observer
Students at LaCreole Middle School already use a variety
of “makerspaces” located throughout the school.
MARCOS ROMERO/for the Itemizer-Observer
Innovate Oregon make-a-thons are open to students of all ages and adults who want to participate.
is looking at expanding to
Polk County, Foscoli said
He said the make-a-thon
helps the company gauge
the community’s interest in
what it has to offer — and
the educational and eco-
nomic benefits that come
with having high-speed in-
ternet service.
MARCOS ROMERO/ for the Itemizer-Observer
During make-a-thon events, teams work together to
use newly learned coding skills to solve problems.
“They see Polk County as
a natural extension,” Foscoli
said. “They want to know
that the community is inter-
ested in this.”
For more information on
Dallas Make-a-thon, or to
sign
up,
go
to
https://spark.adobe.com/pa
ge/BXURNTY7sX3zY/.
Photo courtesy of LaCreole Middle School/ for the Itemizer-Observer
Teachers and staff at LaCreole Middle School find stu-
dents enjoy hands-on and technology-themed projects.