Digital Design & Entrepreneurship

Facilitator: Jonathan Perrone, AEF teachSTEM Program Coordinator

Hosted by the Arizona Educational Foundation in AEF’s Innovation Lab, sponsored by Communications, this hands-on workshop invites educators to explore graphic design and making through tools like Cricut machines, heat transfer vinyl, and sublimation. Participants will rotate through design and making stations, using software like Canva and Cricut Design Space to create custom projects. You’ll work with Cricut Maker 3 machines, sublimation printers, and heat presses to learn techniques for creating classroom materials and student-led projects. Teachers will leave with sample projects like vinyl stickers or sublimated items, plus practical ideas for integrating design thinking into their classrooms. We’ll also demonstrate connections between design and entrepreneurship, showing how these creative skills can inspire student innovation and business thinking across all grade levels.