Stanley Black & Decker Launches Maker Month to Celebrate Innovators

NEW BRITAIN, Conn., Oct. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK) today announced the launch of its inaugural Maker Month, a celebration of the makers and creators shaping the world around us. Throughout the month of October, Stanley Black & Decker, the world's largest tools and storage company and leader in engineered fastening and security, will encourage students, parents, school communities and makers of all ages to participate in activities and challenges that spark curiosity and build excitement for the power of making.

"Industrial and technological innovations are rapidly changing the nature of work and jobs, with approximately 10 million jobs in the global manufacturing sector unfilled due to the skills gap," said Stanley Black & Decker's President and CEO Jim Loree. "With Maker Month and our other maker-focused efforts, we are aiming to enable 10 million creators and makers by 2030 to thrive in this changing world."

During October – which is also National Manufacturing Month – Stanley Black & Decker will run several social media sweepstakes aimed at generating excitement among future makers, launch a contest in which schools can compete to win funding, tools and services to build their very own in-school makerspace, and become a sponsor of the 4^th annual Global Maker Day on October 23^rd.

"One pillar of our company's Corporate Social Responsibility focus is on using the power of making to inspire the young creators and doers of the future," said Deb Geyer, Vice President of EHS & CSR at Stanley Black & Decker. "We believe in the power of this next generation of innovators to dramatically change the world for the better, and we're honored to be in a position that we can provide all of the tools and a bit of the inspiration that they need to make an impact."

Maker Month Activities 
To kick off Maker Month, Stanley Black & Decker invites makers in the United States and Canada (excluding Quebec) to participate in a weekly #MyMakerMomentSweepstakes for a chance to win a Stanley Black & Decker tool prize pack valued up to $1,000. Challenges will be announced each Monday in October on the company's Facebook page with a prompt to recreate an activity or submit a recent project that shows the power of making. Photos or videos of completed projects tagged with #MyMakerMomentSweepstakes will be entered, and one winner will be selected randomly each Friday. For rules and regulations, visit Stanley Black & Decker's website.

As part of a comprehensive partnership with Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, Stanley Black & Decker is also hosting the Innovation Generation Contest that gives schools across the United States a chance to win $25,000 to create their own Makerspace powered by Stanley Black & Decker tools, with powerful brands such as DEWALT, CRAFTSMAN, STANLEY, IRWIN and BLACK+DECKER. The initiative aims to cultivate student collaboration and STEAM learning acceleration in urban, rural, advanced and underserved learning communities.  

Starting today through March 5, 2019, educators and community members over the age of 18 are encouraged to vote for their school of choice—votes can be cast daily and two schools will be awarded prizes. For more information on eligibility, contest rules and to enter your school, visit: www.innovation-gen.com/contest.

The contest is part of Stanley Black & Decker and Discovery Education's new Innovation Generation: Making an Impact initiative, which empowers students and educators nationwide to explore numerous disciplines by building, making and doing. Students will have the opportunity to learn from new STEAM curriculum, engage in virtual field trips and participate in maker activities.

"Our 'Innovation Generation' initiative with Stanley Black & Decker represents an incredible opportunity to inspire young leaders, through innovative digital resources and immersive classroom experiences, to produce 21st-century solutions that solve the world's most pressing challenges," said Discovery Education Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Lori McFarling.

On October 23, Stanley Black & Decker is proud to sponsor Global Maker Day, an all-day live, online event featuring guest makers discussing projects, learning spaces, coding, 3D design and other topics. Stanley Black & Decker will host a 30-minute learning session featuring the company's Makerspace team. To learn more and register for the event, visit: https://www.globalmakerday.com/.

Throughout the month, Stanley Black & Decker employees around the world will partner with local schools and organizations to lend their time and skills to lead Maker Month activities. Employees will encourage students to imagine they are engineers, physicists, architects and handymen and work with them to design, build and test projects including circuits, bridges, airplanes, catapults and more. 

Maker Month complements Stanley Black & Decker's existing maker-focused efforts that include Makerspace collaboration initiatives with universities and other organizations, global apprenticeship programs, sponsorship of WorldSkills International, and the company's recent announcement of its Manufactory 4.0 initiative that includes job retraining efforts and the STANLEY+Techstars Additive Manufacturing Accelerator program.

For additional information about the Innovation Generation: Making An Impact program, please visit: www.innovation-gen.com.

Media Contacts: 
Tim Perra
Vice President, Public Affairs
[email protected] 
(860) 826-3260    

Abigail Dreher
Director, Public Affairs
[email protected]  
(860) 922-4598

About Discovery Education: 
As the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12 classrooms worldwide, Discovery Education is transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional learning, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 4.5 million educators and over 50 million students, Discovery Education's services are available in approximately half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries around the globe. Inspired by Discovery, Inc., Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Explore the future of education at DiscoveryEducation.com.

About Stanley Black & Decker: 
Stanley Black & Decker is a $13 billion revenue, $20+ billion market capitalization, purpose-driven industrial organization. Stanley Black & Decker has 58,000 employees in more than 60 countries and operates the world's largest tools and storage business, the world's second largest commercial electronic security company, a leading engineered fastening business as well as Oil & Gas and Infrastructure businesses. The company's iconic brands include BLACK+DECKER, Bostitch, CRAFTSMAN, DEWALT, FACOM, Irwin, Lenox, Porter Cable and Stanley. Stanley Black & Decker is a company for the makers and innovators, the craftsmen and the caregivers, and those doing the hard work to make the world a better place. Learn more at www.stanleyblackanddecker.com.

SOURCE Stanley Black & Decker

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