Noa M.

Science, Crafts, Coding, and Everything In Between

New York City

• I learned to knit, sew, and weave in an after-school program growing up in NYC
• My favorite college class was one called Children and Architecture, where I was paired with two preschoolers to design a set of toy blocks together
• During my master's, I worked in my university's woodshop, supporting students with their projects

Hi, I'm Noa Morris, an artist and engineer who loves education and exploring where art, science, and play overlap. I just finished my master's in Energy and Sustainability at the University of Chicago, after a bachelor's in Molecular Engineering and Visual Arts. Along the way, I've designed educational games and animations, hand-built mugs, knitted sweaters and scarves, and taught others about a variety of subjects such as ceramics, woodworking, and quantum physics. Making and hands-on learning is my favorite way to teach. My classes are hands-on and playful from the start. Sometimes that means coding a game in Scratch, building and problem-solving inside Minecraft, or using something kids already love, like Pokémon, as a way into logic, design, and strategy. Other times, it's pulling apart a rainbow of light or shaping clay. Whatever the subject, I want students to make, guess, and discover rather than just listen. My favorite thing to say in class is that wrong guesses are the point, because that's when kids start taking real creative risks. Whether the tool is a keyboard, a lump of clay, yarn, or a double slit experiment, my goal is the same: help each student feel capable and curious, and give them room to experiment and explore while feeling supported. When I'm not teaching, I'm usually making something myself, especially through knitting or pottery. I love chasing the "how does that actually work?" questions, and I can't wait to bring that creativity and curiosity to your kids.