Sense-Makers

Thinking & Acting Together for OUR Region

The Most Recent DegenSTEAM Sense-Maker Gathering

Thursday, October 22nd, 2026

  • 9:00 am - 12:00 pm: Collaborative Impact Session - Virtual using REMO

  • 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm: Live Podcast and Networking - MYNDDSET Poditorium and the DegenSTEAM Lending Lab, the DRIVE Building, Danville, PA. RSVP’s required. Email info@degensteam.org to confirm you can join us for the afternoon.

A Sense-Maker is someone who not only helps make sense of what's changing across learning, workforce, and community—but is also willing to help move meaningful work forward.

Explore the Sense-Maker Gathering Summary

"People don't need to fear losing jobs. They need to be hopeful and inspired by new possibilities and I think that's a challenge we're willing to rise to." Kelly Feiler, President, Regional Engagement Center, Selinsgrove, PA

Come make sense with us.

 

  • Some of the best conversations only happen when the right people slow down in the same room together. This is one of them. It's not a time for lectures; it's a working gathering where your voice, your questions, and your ideas are the whole point. Whether you've been part of DegenSTEAM since day one or you're just curious what all of this is, you have a seat at the table.

  • A Sense-Maker Gathering is a facilitated space where a group comes together to notice what's happening, name what matters, and shape where we go next, together. We'll move between big-room conversations and small-group ones, so everyone gets real time to talk, not just listen. And the insights, patterns, and connections that usually vanish the second a meeting ends? We capture those and put them to work.

    • A welcome providing a chance to meet other people who care about this work.

    • Small-group conversations where you'll get to share your experiences and stories.

    • Time to surface what's working, what's hard, and what you're excited about.

    • Discover how DegenSTEAM is operating to drive our shared sense of direction and collective vision of “Once Again Driven by STEAM.”

  • Where our STEAM community is headed, and what we most want to build together.

    • The opportunities and challenges you're seeing on the ground.

    • How we support one another's work and strengthen the connections across our network.

    • The ideas worth carrying forward into the months ahead.

  • Educators, organizers, partners, students. For those who care about STEAM in our community. You don't need to prep a thing. Just bring yourself and your perspective.

You shared. We listened.
Our collective actions and goals.

  • Asset map existing cross-sector partnerships to identify where collaboration is already strong and where gaps exist (especially rural).

    Goal #1: Strengthen Regional Alignment

  • Create a Regional Talent & Partnership Council that aligns employers, education leaders, and policymakers.

    Goal 1: Strengthen Regional Alignment

  • Pilot shared data dashboards and communication loops that make collaboration visible and measurable.

    Goal 1: Strengthen Regional Alignment

  • Develop AI Training and Development Programs across the community that integrate local issues (e.g., sustainability, accessibility, public health).

    Goal 2: Integrate Real-World Learning at Scale

  • Create a Learning Model and Guide to tie educational projects across all ages to civic impact.

    Goal 2: Integrate Real-World Learning at Scale.

  • Create a co-branded internship and apprenticeship program with industry and employers, harnessing centralized management to ensure best practices for learning and the highest impact of student skills.

    Goal 2: Integrate Real-World Learning at Scale.

  • Build an Initiative to coordinate shared STEAM resources.

    Goal 3: Expand Equitable Access to Discovery

  • Launch a regional STEAM learning network to expand access into community-based programs.

    Goal 3: Expand Equitable Access to Discovery

  • Expand mentorship networks across DegenSTEAM partners.

    Goal 4: Support a Culture of Mentorship and Lifelong LearningSupport a Culture of Mentorship and Lifelong Learning

  • Launch a STEAM-focused student-led advisory cohort into the region.

    Goal 4: Support a Culture of Mentorship and Lifelong Learning

  • Integrate learning and upskilling into the broader AI + STEAM narrative.

    Goal 4: Support a Culture of Mentorship and Lifelong Learning