A Big IDEA Takes Shape

Cassie Banka '05
Acting Director
Engineering Department Chair

Cassie Banka brings over a decade of classroom instruction, teacher professional development and mentorship experience to IDEA Space KC. She's taught middle and high school mathematics and engineering courses focused on design and fabrication. Her goal is to facilitate the development of impassioned problem solvers.

In addition to her role as acting director, Cassie oversees our Makerspace, including digital fabrication, and is responsible for the engineering curriculum development. After graduating from The Barstow School in 2005, Cassie earned a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education Mathematics and a Master of Science in Curriculum from Kansas State University, and a Master of Science in School Leadership from Baker University.

Garrett Brown
Design and Fabrication Facilitator

Garrett Brown comes to IDEA Space KC with an art and design background and over 13 years of experience coordinating student-used shops and creative studio spaces. He has facilitated and taught traditional woodworking and metalworking techniques, digital fabrication, and fundamental principles and practices for three-dimensional and two-dimensional creative processes.

Garrett oversees the Fabrication Workshop at IDEA Space, and develops and implements curriculum for students and teachers that combines new technology with traditional building techniques, explores materials, form, and function, and ensures safe working practice. Garrett holds a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Art from the University of Kansas and a Master's Degree in Fine Art from Northern Illinois University.

Bree Pusey
Computer Science Facilitator

Bree Pusey comes to IDEA Space with several years of teaching experience, including Physical Science, Engineering and Computer Science courses. She is an alumni of Teach For America’s Milwaukee Corps and has focused on combating educational inequity throughout her career.

Bree oversees the Technology Lab at IDEA Space and is responsible for computer science curriculum development. She attended high school at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. She received a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Arts in Education from Alverno College. Her goal is to make computer science accessible to every learner — both teachers and students. Bree is also a lifelong athlete, and is particularly interested in the intersection of sports, science and technology.