Amanda N. Simons Email and Phone Number

For the last decade, I’ve been teaching folks age 5 to 85 how to use dangerous tools and make interesting things safely, both physically and emotionally. I focus my work on the LGBTQIA+ community, neurodivergent students, the disabled community, folks with physical differences, English Language Learners, and underserved populations pursuing skills in typically exclusive fields like woodworking and metalworking.I have developed a number of strategies for creating more accessible and accommodating educational studio experiences for students. Through the implementation of universal design principles and universal design for learning strategies, we can welcome more and different people into our shops and classrooms. Staff trainings focused on inclusive and consent-based language can help teachers guide their students using design inquiry strategies. By working directly with under-served students, we can accommodate their needs more specifically.I have taught equity strategies to educators both nationally and internationally through a number of conferences, workshops, and direct consulting opportunities. Past and current collaborators include Institute for Applied Tinkering, Student Shop Managers Consortium, Smith College, and Maine College of Art and Design.