A Make48 2024 Year End Summary

Hey friends, it's the end of another year and we have much to be thankful for!

2024 was one of the fastest-growing times at our company. With a couple of new faces and an awesome season, we look forward to seeing what is coming next.

6 Career Pathway Competitions + 1 Nationals this year!

Our whirlwind, eighth Season of Make48 kicked off in February at UMKC's School of Engineering, where we teamed up with Project Lead The Way to spark stadium innovation in Kansas City. Next stop? The Delta School in Wilson, Arkansas, where the competition grew with the E-Z-GO gardening challenge!

Then, we experienced a truly inspiring first: six schools for the blind went head-to-head at the Kansas State School for the Blind, proving that ingenuity knows no bounds. Fishers, Indiana was our fourth stop, with FFA teams taking the lead on the Corteva challenge. Wisconsin welcomed us next, first at MSOE, where teams tackled scalable sustainability, and then at UW-Stout, where Derrick Construction challenged them to revolutionize construction safety.

Finally, we wrapped up Season 8 with a grand finale at Operation Breakthrough's Ignition Lab in Kansas City. This event was the perfect ending to an incredible year.

Want to see the action unfold? Check out the highlights on Make48’s YouTube channel! [LINK]

Introducing the Make48 Education Innovation Course!

Remember that idea we had back in 2020? Well, it's finally here! We partnered with The DeBruce Foundation in 2023 to create an exciting new Education Innovation course. This hands-on program combines curriculum with a collaborative Innovation Experience, designed to help students thrive in the Make48 competition environment and beyond.

We piloted the course this past August at Platte County R-III Schools with a challenge sponsored by Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative, and the results were fantastic! Get ready for the full rollout in August 2025 with education strategists Brett Kisker and Sharrell Howard leading the charge!

What makes this course special?

The Make48 Innovation Experience, featuring the Agilities© by The DeBruce Foundation, equips students and teachers with the tools and resources they need to navigate innovation and tackle real-world projects. It's all about fostering creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration.

49th Hour with Sporting KC

Sporting Kansas City hosted the first "Make48 49th Hour Pitch Event" on October 24th.

Six Missouri high school teams presented their refined, innovative stadium concepts they originally developed during the February competition.

These young innovators pitched to industry leaders from professional sports, construction, and investment groups. The event highlighted the commitment to enhancing fan experiences and fostering innovation while providing students with invaluable feedback and potential partnerships. See more HERE

Welcoming New Faces!

In January, we welcomed Brett Kisker as our Head of Education to spearhead the rollout of the Innovation Experience.  We were also thrilled to have Sharrell Howard join the team in July! Sharrell has been instrumental in refining and deploying the Make48 Innovation Experience and training amazing teachers to implement it in their classrooms.

She's passionate about empowering students with the skills they need to succeed in today's world. Catch her in action on our latest Instagram reels! [Link]

This summer we were fortunate to have Reese Adkisson join our team as an intern! Reese is from Arkansas and was a volunteer tool tech at her alma mater, The Delta School. Her commitment to ensuring the events ran smoothly and absorbing as much as she could in the 12 weeks was incredible. As Reese embarks on her first semester of college, we extend our best wishes for her continued success! 

A Huge Thank You to Our Amazing Volunteers!

Make48 wouldn't be possible without the incredible dedication of our Tool Techs and volunteers. Your hard work and passion bring this documentary to life! A special shout-out to our lead tool techs, Tyler Isaacs, Adam Kittrell, and Miles Davis for their exceptional leadership and support. 

Make48 on Roku: Now with Audio Descriptions!

A big thank you to This Old House Makers Channel for featuring Make48 for another season! We're always striving to make our content accessible to everyone, and we're excited to announce that we've added audio descriptions to our Roku Channel on-demand episodes.

How to Access Audio Descriptions:

Starting with episodes 803 and 804 on-demand offerings here, you can now enjoy Make48 with audio descriptions. Simply select "English [Audio Description]" in the same area where you turn on captions (bottom right of your screen).

Important Note: While we're thrilled to offer audio descriptions on-demand, this feature is not yet available on our live/linear channel due to technical limitations. In the meantime, we encourage you to spread the word about the availability of audio descriptions on our on-demand content. We believe everyone should be able to experience the excitement of Make48!

Looking Ahead to an Epic 2025!

We're gearing up for another fantastic year with five top-notch competitions, including our first-ever Make48 event in Texas! Ready to join the excitement? Sign up for the bracket and compete for the national championship in 2025-26! [LINK]