A makerspace is a collaborative and creative workspace that provides individuals with the tools, resources, and community needed to explore, experiment, and bring their ideas to life. It is a physical or virtual environment where people of all ages and backgrounds can gather to engage in various hands-on activities, often involving technology, arts, crafts, and engineering.

At its core, a makerspace fosters a do-it-yourself (DIY) culture and encourages a hands-on approach to learning and problem-solving. It is a place where individuals can learn new skills, tinker with technology and machinery, and gain practical experience in a supportive and collaborative setting.

Key features of a makerspace may include:

Diverse Tools and Equipment: Makerspaces are equipped with a wide range of tools and equipment, such as 3D printers, laser cutters, woodworking tools, electronics, robotics kits, and more. These resources enable makers to bring their ideas into reality.

Open and Inclusive Environment: Makerspaces are open to people of all ages, skill levels, and backgrounds. They foster an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere where individuals can learn from each other, share knowledge, and collaborate on projects.

Education and Skill Development: Makerspaces often offer workshops, classes, and training sessions to help individuals build new skills and enhance existing ones. These educational opportunities can cover various disciplines, including programming, electronics, design, and traditional craftsmanship.

Collaboration and Networking: Makerspaces encourage collaboration and teamwork among their members. By sharing ideas, resources, and expertise, individuals can collectively tackle more significant and complex projects.

Creativity and Innovation: Makerspaces nurture creativity and innovation by providing a space where individuals can freely explore their interests and experiment with novel ideas and concepts.

DIY Projects and Prototyping: Makerspaces are popular venues for do-it-yourself projects and prototyping. They provide access to tools and materials that may be expensive or hard to obtain individually, enabling makers to iterate and refine their creations.

Community Building: Makerspaces facilitate the development of a vibrant community of makers, inventors, artists, and hobbyists. This sense of community fosters peer support, knowledge exchange, and inspiration.

Entrepreneurship and Startups: Makerspaces can serve as incubators for aspiring entrepreneurs and startups. By providing access to resources and mentorship, makerspaces can help individuals turn their innovative ideas into viable products or businesses.

Overall, makerspaces play a vital role in promoting a culture of learning, creativity, and collaboration. They empower individuals to become active creators rather than passive consumers of technology and products. Whether it's for personal projects, educational pursuits, or entrepreneurial ventures, makerspaces offer an exciting and dynamic environment for individuals to explore and innovate.

The makerspace is open from 12-8 Tuesday through Sunday. Please stop by during those hours for tours, orientations and competencies or to check out our makers’ work in the retail area.

Check out the membership tab. Select the membership that is right for you and register to become a member. The fees are listed and when you are ready we will meet you for an orientation. We look forward to seeing you at the space!

Most classes will be in the evenings and on the weekends. Classes are subject to instructor availability. If you are looking for a certain class, please let us know so that we can make arrangements for that.

Each equipment area and piece of equipment requires some basic knowledge in order to operate the equipment safely. Members are required to demonstrate the ability to use the equipment safely in order to operate the equipment independently. We are providing point of need training for equipment at this time. Rather than training members on 20 pieces of equipment at once and expecting them to retain that information, we will provide training as needed when needed. It will require some coordination so if you know you would like to work on a piece of equipment for which you need trained, please reach out in advance to the lab captain to coordinate, if there is no lab captain, reach out to Meghan and we will make arrangements for you to get the training needed.

You are responsible for the supplies for your projects. We do have some items around the space and you are welcome to use those as long as you use them respectfully and also bring supplies to help replenish our stock so that others have a similar experience.

Certain supplies are available for purchase in the retail area. If you see something that would be nice to have there, please let us know.

PLA Filament must be weighed after you finish your project. All waste should be weighed along with your final build. You can check out at the front desk as staff is available. We may be able to offer self checkout online in the near future.

With 24/7 access, allows members who have shown a level of responsiblity for independent work to come in during non-staffed hours. If you are granted this access, you will be able to use the space anytime your membership allows. That also means that members who do not have that level of membership, must vacate the premises when official staffed hours end. Each 24/7 member will receive an RFID which will allow them access during those hours.

Classes may have different formats. Classes generally are 1 time events. Courses require multiples sessions. Lastly, If we have a regular time that folks come to work on projects with a topic, but is more independent work than direct instruction, that would be considered a workshop.

If you would like to be involved in growing and developing the space, please check out our “Join Us” page for additional details on becoming a Lab Captain.

We do have a couple need-based memberships available. We also have volunteer opportunities for which you will be gifted a membership. Please speak to Meghan about these opportunities.