Maker Faire started in 2006 in San Francisco and has since expanded to countries worldwide with over 200 Maker Faires in cities such as Barcelona, Berlin, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Shenzhen, and Tokyo. The Faire made its Shanghai debut in 2020 and returned this year for its successful second edition. 

Over 17000 visitors attended the 2021 Shanghai Maker Faire, which featured over 60 interactive booths packed full of engaging STEAM-related activities and displays. More than 1200 tech enthusiasts, educators, engineers, and artists participated in the event, showcasing the true essence of STEAM. Despite the rainy outlook, our YCIS Shanghai booth was buzzing with children and adults alike in awe of the work created by our incredible students.

This year, under the theme Mars: New Frontiers – Exploration and Habitations, YCIS Shanghai displayed a variety of STEAM work and interactive experiences, applying the topics and knowledge learned in class—such as environmental protection and sustainable living—to create STEAM solutions for life on Mars. The projects incorporated a multi-disciplinary approach that tied together student learning across multiple subject areas.

The student volunteers extracted kiwi DNA and fostered vegetal life in a controlled environment, utilising skills attained in their Biology classes. The booth's visitors roamed with robotic rovers programmed in Computer Science across a Mars terrain imagined by YCIS Shanghai students in their Art classes. It was quite a sight to behold and kept the visitors enthralled throughout the weekend! 

Participation in events such as the Maker Faire weekend exhibit our students’ skills as critical thinkers who can adapt the lessons from their classroom and deliver their knowledge to the Shanghai community. We are always delighted to see our students’ daily accomplishments in and out of class and look forward to their participation in future STEAM and non-STEAM related events.