T H E P I T T S B U R G H F O U N D AT I O N 1 8 F O R U M Video games had helped take Matt’s mind off the side effects of his chemotherapy treat­ ments, so that fund’s initial grants launched Matt’s Media Program, ensuring that every bed in the pediatric oncology unit at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh had either a computer, PlayStation or Xbox. Then, in 2016, when the Conovers’ youngest child was graduating from Mt. Lebanon High School, the family decided to give back to the schools that had educated them and their children: the Matt’s Maker Space Program was launched. “Matt was that kid who loved to play with Legos,” Noelle says. “He was always tinkering and playing with things. He was the type of kid who would take something apart to see how it worked. These maker spaces encourage that experiential learning. It’s about changing the way kids learn, giving them the opportunity to use their hands and figure out the properties of how things work on their own.” A $175,000 grant from the Matthew Conover Memorial Fund paid for the installation of maker spaces in all seven elementary schools in the Mt. Lebanon District. Each one is different, and programming is based on curriculum. “Not every child learns the same way; we’ve known that for a long time,” says Michelle Murray, principal of Julia Ward Howe Elementary School and coordinator of the Maker Space program. “These spaces represent a resurgence of a type of learning that allows children hands-on exploration of science, technology, engineering, art and math concepts.” Some examples: kindergarteners reading “The Lorax,” by Dr. Seuss, would make trees based on those in the book; third-graders apply engineering lessons to learn to build bridges with different materials. Some spaces allow students to learn about robotics, computer programming — even sewing. “The students love Matt’s Maker Spaces,” Murray says. “These are a wonderful legacy in Matt’s memory.” Now, the Conovers are expanding the program beyond elementary schools, creating a nonprofit that will fund the opening of at least one new maker space every year. This year, spaces will open at St. Paul’s Episcopal Nursery School in Mt. Lebanon, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and Our Clubhouse, formerly Gilda’s Club, in the Strip District. Noelle says building the program through her son’s name has helped in the family’s healing. “We want people to remember Matt, and this is a way for people to know who he was,” she says. “Our fund at The Pittsburgh Foundation has been the most rewarding philanthropy we’ve done as a family. Being able to give back to the community helped us find our new normal.” By Deanna Garcia | communications officer Second-graders use Matt’s Maker Space for the first time at Howe Elementary School.Taking on the assignment to create an environment for an animal, Emma McFarland makes one for a moose.