The hardest part of a Makerspace is the first step: finding the resources to start one. Nothing in a makerspace is cheap. Whether your space needs high tech machines or just simple tools, the cost of enough instruments and materials to support any group of students is immediately very great. However there are many ways to tackle this daunting barrier of cost. The first is to simply start the space up. You don’t need a fully stocked space to start letting students make. In fact it’s even better if students are able to start making as soon as possible. For this reason a simple tool drive can be enough to round up the necessary things to first open. Other methods are to message other Makerspaces and labs to see if they have any obsolete equipment or tools they no longer need. Lastly you can ask for some base donations to get your space up and running. Altogether the advised first step is to start with a simpler space with basic tools and materials before venturing further into higher tech machines. 

            The next step for a makerspace is finding funding for tools like 3D printers and laser cutters. These can cost thousands of dollars depending on the model and so here it is important to seek aid with the cost. One of the best resources for this can be grants. Because Makerspaces are still novel, but simultaneously recognized as Uber-important in our modern world, there are many companies and agencies providing grants and funding for schools and organizations to build their own spaces. Beyond this certain companies provide their own discounts and grants on specific machines for in-school use. Regardless, this step will involve lots of research to find the source of funding best suited to you and your organization. In this process communicating with others who have gone through the same process can be invaluable. Keep in mind you are not alone in your pursuit. There is a wealth of information out there to help you create a space that suits all of the needs of your students. 

            One of the crucial things to remember with a makerspace is that you could have and use the best materials and machines, but if you don’t facilitate the use of the space correctly, it could still fail. The learning does not just come with the machines. Teaching it is a huge part of the space. People have to first know about the Makerspace. Hosting a make-a-thon or other build/design contest can bring people into the space and get them actively involved. Getting students excited about the new opportunities is super important. Once you have a group of a few passionate students encouraging them to start a maker’s club is very important. A maker’s club is a group of students who are trained with the machines, software, and materials and are able to fix machines and facilitate their use. They also can teach others how to use them. The maker’s club also gives students a voice in the use of the space. They can facilitate classes, competitions, or projects to their own liking. 

            Making sure that the space is used to its full potential is also crucial. Its ability to physicalize real topics is valuable. Encourage classes to make use of its resources and tools to create their own projects. Each subject has practical uses for the machinery of a makerspace. This goes along with our post on creative thought. Makerspaces are the physical manifestation of creative thought. If classes can make use of one it embodies the ideal of breaking the boundary dividing creative thinking and simple subject memorization. It also encourages students to make the leap to applying the lessons within a makerspace to the real world on their own. Altogether the symbiosis of academic subject and physical creation can mold learners who truly grasp the world around them. 

            The last, yet possibly hardest part of a Makerspace is ensuring that it lasts and thrives. One of the largest issues apparent with Makerspaces is a lack of maintenance and supervision as it grows. This is why earlier on we advised founding a maker’s club. This club would take on the duty of having a member trained for each machine. They would be educated on how to use and fix them. Alongside this faculty would also need to understand the machines. However if this set of trained students can train fellow classmates, a cycle ensues of students who are educated in how to use all of the tools available to them without all having to be taught by the same person. With this though supervision is still necessary. It’s important that adults are present at all times students are working in a Makerspace. It’s also important that students stay with any print or laser cut job they set up until it finishes so that no accidents can occur off watch and cause harm to the space. Any other supervision in a Makerspace is straightforward, and strictly important. With expensive or inexpensive tools alike, although we want students to learn from their mistakes, we do not want a mistake to cost them thousands of dollars when it could’ve been avoided. 

            All together Makerspaces are an invaluable resource to the young mind. They physicalize real issues into material solutions. They teach kids lessons valuable across all areas of life. They teach students to take failure in stride and use it to improve. In this post we have discussed our opinion on a Makerspace and how it should work. Below we have also attached a pricing guide for a Makerspace with a couple budget options for various machines. Please check it out and keep our advice in mind. Makerspaces can change lives, and they just take one dedicated person. For more information please contact us at lookingbeyond@asteppastobvious.com