The focus on education in the Craft Think Tank symposia (2017) is especially vital since many U.S. art schools have closed in recent years or were acquired by universities. Topics will include: "Ways To Learn – Non-University Approaches"; "Education in the Age of Digital Technology"; "Museum / Non-Profit Education and Outreach"; "K-12 Education and Teen Docent Program" and "New University Approaches".  Planned discussion topics in education include U.S. public education: how to develop opportunities to support the expansion of STEAM -adding “A” for Arts -to U.S. educational initiative STEM/Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
See: http://www.steam.edu.com

How do we measure and prove that arts in education enhances students’ grades/tests/ outcomes? What are alternative reasons that highlight the benefits of an art/craft education? Specific to college and university programs: How can university programs include entrepreneurship skill development into their curricula? How can we integrate business professionals and working makers into university programs? Introduce more professional development into the craft field for emerging and mid-career makers. We must recognize the importance of “non-academic” educational pathways and address these in college and university professional development programs. Funding ideas for craft education. How do we to connect with Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD)? How might we educate immigrant and minority communities to participate in professional development to develop better business practices for their craft?
 
Attendees of Craft Think Tank (2017) a partial list of its forty invited participants includes -makers, educators, curators, administrators, writers and representatives: makers include Tim Tate (glass); goldsmith Aalund Nanz; ceramic artist Tim Christensen and metal smiths Michael Schmidt and Jack DaSilva. Magazines represented are American Craft Magazine and crafthaus. Organizations, schools and museums represented: Canadian Crafts Federation headquartered in New Brunswick. From New England: Maine Crafts and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine. In Massachusetts, Fuller Craft Museum and North Bennett Street School in Boston. From California: the Otis College of Arts, the Craft and Folk Art Museum and The Critical Craft Forum in Los Angeles; Pitzer College in Claremont; American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona and in San Francisco, California College of the Arts and the Museum of Craft and Design. From across the US:  Society of North American Goldsmiths/SNAG and Oregon College of Art and Craft in Portland, Oregon; Peters Valley Craft Center in New Jersey; in Texas, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and Southwest School of Arts and Craft in San Antonio; in Pennsylvania, The Society of Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh and Clay Studio in Philadelphia; the Appalachian Center for Craft in Tennessee; The Furniture Society in Ashville, North Carolina, Craft in America and the Maloof Foundation in California.
 
Participants of the first national Craft Think Tank held June 7-10, 2012 at Touchstone Center of Craft in Pennsylvania included a group of makers from a variety of craft media and representatives from America Craft Council; The Textile Society of America; Society of North American Goldsmiths; the Society for Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh; The Surface Design Association an international organization and the Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston. From Asheville, North Carolina: Craft in America, The Furniture Society, Handmade in America and The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design. And finally, Craft in America, crafthaus magazine and national thought leaders from major craft educational and business institutions.
 
Past participants included Artful Home and Artisin LLC, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts and Craft in America. Crafthaus magazine, Handmade in America, Hart Business Research, Haystack and Lillstreet Art Center (Chicago). The NCECA, SNAG and SOFA. The Society for Contemporary Craft (PA) and Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston. Surface Design Association, Textile Society of America and the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design alongside numerous galleries and makers from across the craft field.
 
The Craft Think Tank symposium organizers:
-Brigitte Martin:
Founder and Co-Organizer Craft Think Tank –with the American Craft Council
Editor at large American Craft Magazine https://craftcouncil.org/magazine
Craftshaus Founder & Editor http://crafthaus.ning.com/
President of Society of North American Goldsmiths
http://www.snagmetalsmith.org/
Award Wining Author “Humour in Craft” http://www.humorincraft.com
-Chris Amundsen:
Co-Organizer of Craft Think Tank and Executive Director, American Craft Council since 2012.
-Beth Ann Gerstein, Co-organizer of 2017 symposium and Executive Director of AMOCA. 

Erica H. Adams, contributing editor Glass is more!