Hands-On Intelligence: A Priority for Education and Tech Policies

On April 23, the Trump administration unveiled an executive order to aggressively promote AI integration across all levels of the American education system, arguing that it is a necessary step to ensure the United States remains a global leader in the technological revolution.

Yet simultaneously, the US faces a troubling national policy trend—a sweeping defunding of scientific inquiry, particularly research into AI's societal impacts and its critical use. This contradictory approach hinders our collective ability to understand and responsibly harness AI technologies.

At this crucial policy moment, education and tech policies must robustly invest in what I call “hands-on intelligence”—a unique set of human capacities encompassing embodied knowledge, emotional adaptability and resilience, and creative problem-solving skills.

This form of intelligence is cultivated distinctively through active engagement with physical making, experimentation, iterative practices, and tangible challenges that involve both low- and high-tech tools. It is firmly grounded in established theories such as constructionism and experiential learning.

In an increasingly digital age, where AI rapidly replaces many intellectual and creative jobs, we must ask: Who will build, repair, and sustain the tangible world around us?

Hands-on intelligence thrives at the intersection of mind and body, cognition and action, the physical and the digital. It fosters not only practical competence but also critical digital literacy, empowering individuals to maintain human agency and creativity amid rapid technological advances.

Recent economic disruptions, including escalating tariffs, rising inflation, and fragile supply chains, underscore the urgent need for sustainable, self-reliant communities. Yet current policies inadequately equip individuals with the practical skills necessary to repair, create, and sustainably produce goods locally, exacerbating vulnerabilities in the face of global challenges.

At both federal and state levels, education and technology funding falls short of supporting the infrastructure and programs needed to cultivate these essential aspects of hands-on intelligence. Addressing this shortfall requires investing in dedicated spaces for hands-on learning and creative experimentation.

Imagine stepping into a campus space unlike any traditional classroom or laboratory—an educational environment often referred to as “makerspaces.” Here, you'll find a range of low- or high-tech fabrication tools, including but not limited to: 3D printers, laser cutters, vinyl cutters, sewing machines, electronics, and woodworking tools.

By day, students from diverse backgrounds and disciplines learn hands-on skills and engage in the process of experimentation. By night, this space becomes a vibrant community hub where families, retirees, and professionals gather to innovate and create.

This vision is not hypothetical. At the Champaign-Urbana Community Fab Lab, where I serve as director, we've cultivated precisely this environment. Founded by local community volunteers and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, our lab is part of a global network of over 2,300 Fabrication Laboratories, or Fab Labs, which exemplify the potent intersection of education and community innovation.

An educational makerspace open to the community is not limited to higher education. K-12 school and library makerspaces have also demonstrated their value in learning, innovation, and community building.

Yet, these valuable educational spaces are frequently dismissed as niche or specialized environments. They lack sustained policy support and necessary funding for broader societal impact.

These physical “third spaces” for hands-on learning and innovation must be recognized as essential educational and community infrastructure, not luxuries. They nurture human qualities indispensable for success in the AI era.

Moreover, ideological divisions are deepening across society. Inclusive makerspaces that foster hands-on learning—including emotional adaptability and resilience—offer vital platforms for meaningful dialogue and understanding. Education policy must actively and intentionally cultivate spaces where individuals from varied backgrounds collaborate toward shared goals, thus reducing polarization and strengthening community ties.

Additionally, the documented mental health benefits associated with hands-on creativity provide further justification for policy support. With anxiety and stress at unprecedented levels among students and community members, investing in therapeutic and collaborative creative spaces should become an education policy priority.

Now is the moment to realign education policies, ensuring not just technological or AI proficiency but the deeply human capabilities needed to thrive. Physical spaces intentionally designed to promote hands-on learning, such as makerspaces, though not a cure-all, represent concrete elements within broader strategies for building resilient and innovative education and technology systems.