In the past few weeks we have really seen the awesome potential of our community makerspace unveiled. The days and evenings are filled with long term and daily pass members coming in and out of the space working on their projects: laser cutting and engraving, painting, chalk art, 3D printing, wood working are all happening at the same time.
Following on from our sold out Summer Camps, the TeenShop after school program, targeted for 12-15 year olds, is rocking along, every evening the space is full of teens creating. We have seen several long board skateboards come in the door as sheets of plywood, and leave as custom shaped tools for fun. Model planes are being laser cut, arduinos are being explored and we are putting the pieces in place to get qualified to support the e-Nable non-profit provide 3D printed prosthetic hands for kids who need them. New friends are being made and everyone is having fun seeing the projects being worked on in the space and the teens keep coming back for more.
To add to the TeenShop workshop program we have been adding specialized classes to give your projects a brain through microelectronics, and understanding mechanical movements to help inform puppetry and robotics, and are beginning to get both classrooms going with all sorts of learning for inventive, imaginative creations.
Catylator Makerspace birthday parties are another great way to have a fun and inventive event in the space. We provide a dedicated classroom, computer resources and introduce the party goers to 3D design so they can make a custom designed 3D printed object. The attendees will get hands-on experience with starting 3D prints and watching them unfold before their eyes. We can also engage the kids with team based construction challenges and will provide each attendee with a goodie bag with a name engraved dog tag, plus their 3D print.
