Katie Rast

Program Director

Katie has provided program direction for Fab Lab San Diego for four years, working as a liaison with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to co-site, develop and implement the San Diego instantiation of the MIT Global Network. From this origin, Katie has worked to build local partnerships in order to create a community-embedded learning laboratory and develop related educational programs.

Katie has worked for over ten years with community-based organizations and schools to provide creative educational experiences for youth. As the Director for the Fab Lab San Diego, Rast has developed and implemented programs and curricula that bring the concepts of digital media into an accessible and project-based learning environment for youth and learners of all ages.

Additionally, she provides direction in day-to-day operations, including the development and pedagogical implementation of educational programs, communications, and oversight of administrative operations. Katie brings a deep commitment to community access to education and career pathways, as well as the management experience to ensure that all community interactions meet the methodology of equality, access, and engaged learning set forth by Fab Lab San Diego.

Educational programs developed or co-developed by Rast have been formally recognized by the MIT Media Lab, The United Nations High Commission on Refugees, Community Technology Association, Education Development Corporation, San Diego Councilmember Marti Emerald, and Congresswoman Susan Davis.

Rast has been a presenter at the White House Roundtable on Science and Technology Policy, the Community Technology Networks of America Symposium, the ACLU Youth Conference, The Sparkplug Talks on New Media and Innovation, SIGGRAPH 2010: The International Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, and FAB5: The Fifth International Fab Lab Forum and Symposium on Digital Fabrication.