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Vandermont Spotlight | Make48 Heads to Texas

Writer's picture: Make48+TeamMake48+Team

Get ready, Make48 fans! The innovative invention competition is heading to Texas for the first time ever, and we couldn't be more excited to announce the location: Vandermont School in the Dallas area! Mark your calendars for February 28th-March 2nd, 2025, for what promises to be an unforgettable event.


But what is Vandermont School, and why is it the perfect host for Make48? We sat down with the team at Vandermont to get the inside scoop.



Vandermont school is located in Dallas, Texas
Vandermont


A School Built on Innovation and Hands-On Learning


Vandermont School has an inspiring origin story. Founded in 2021 by Mandy Goggans, a mother of four (including two sets of twins!), Vandermont was born out of a desire to create a more spiritually, developmentally, and academically enriching educational experience. Goggans sought to blend research-backed processes with a mix of pedagogies, creating an environment where students from K-12 could reimagine learning through self-paced academic engagement and, crucially, hands-on, real-world learning experiences.


A Perfect Match: Vandermont and Make48


It's clear why Vandermont is such a great fit for Make48. As Evan Dalrymple, Head of School at Vandermont, explained, the alignment between the school's values and the competition's core principles is “hand-in-glove.” 


“Our leadership team watched the episode featuring that school and were impressed with both Make48 as an organization, the showcase and experiential learning opportunities it provides participating schools, and the future marketing the competition naturally establishes. We have a large MakerSpace our learners use daily, so it was a great match!” said Evan Dalrymple. 


Vandermont's in-house project-based learning opportunities mirror the Make48 experience, with students gaining experience in real-world skills and design thinking every day. Andrew Podoll, Vandermont's Director of Pedagogy, even has personal experience with Make48, having participated in a previous competition at another school. 


This firsthand knowledge, combined with the leadership team's admiration for Make48's showcase and experiential learning opportunities, motivated the school to host the 2025 event.


Unique Resources for an Enhanced Experience


Vandermont offers several unique resources that will undoubtedly enhance the Make48 experience for participants:


  • Design Den: This large Makerspace, affectionately known as the home of Roary the Lion (the school mascot), is a central component of the Vandermont facility. It provides students with a dedicated space to engage in creative, design-thinking activities, a resource few other area schools can boast.

  • Outdoor Space: With four acres of open space and 110’ of linear covered concrete outdoor shade, participants will have ample room to work and collaborate, even if the Texas weather decides not to cooperate.

  • Supportive Community: Vandermont fosters a strong community culture that embraces new ideas and a "How might we…?" approach to problem-solving, creating a welcoming and collaborative atmosphere for the competition.



Vandermont makerspace Design Den
Vandermont makerspace, Design Den


A Lasting Impact


Vandermont hopes that Make48 will not only showcase its prowess in design-thinking education through its team's participation but also expose a wider audience to the advantages of its student-centric learning environment. 


They envision the event creating lasting memories for everyone involved, with the students gaining invaluable experiential learning and transforming their educational journey.

Evan Dalrymple, “Our desire is first to compete and show our prowess in design-thinking education via our team's participation, but also to expose a larger audience to the advantages of our student-centric, "sky's the limit" learning atmosphere.”


“Vandermont is an environment where structure and creativity coexist to help students advance hard and soft skills, academically, relationally, and spiritually,” Evan continued. “We hope to make lasting memories with the Make48 team and everyone who gets to engage in this special event, with the learners receiving the greatest gift of all, another experiential learning experience that transforms their educational journey!”


We at Make48 share this excitement and are thrilled to be partnering with Vandermont School for one of our 2025 events. Get ready for an incredible competition filled with innovation, creativity, and Texas hospitality! 


Stay tuned for more updates and information as we get closer to the big event. Visit https://www.make48.com/2025-vandermont to learn more about this competition and how you can get involved!


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About Vandermont

Vandermont is a design-centered and competency-based innovative K-12 21st-century private Christian school focused on developing each learner’s God-given talents and interests by integrating competency-based curriculums through Inquiry and Design-Thinking pedagogies. Through a learner-led and student-centered model, they apply real-life skills to offer a purposeful education and give freedom to students to dive deep into their education by being curious, creative, collaborative, and empowered to take charge of their learning, all while providing a meaningful, joyful, relaxed, but rigorous environment. Their approach to education assesses students based on their ability to demonstrate skills and knowledge as opposed to completing traditional basic coursework.


About Make48

Make48 is a nationwide invention-competition docuseries that challenges teams to turn their ideas into reality in just 48 hours. During the three-day event, participants must design a prototype, create a promotional video, and prepare a sales sheet to present their concept to a panel of judges. Teams have access to a state-of-the-art makerspace, skilled Tool Techs who can bring almost any vision to life, as well as patent attorneys, marketing experts, and other invaluable resources. This unique format ensures a level playing field, where creativity and teamwork shine, making it accessible to everyone—no prior technical expertise is required.


Make48 Media Contact:

Cassandra Muñoz


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