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Many colleges and universities, especially those with engineering departments, have established one or more student-centered fabrication facilities, commonly called makerspaces, that allow students to move their ideas to reality through hands-on experiences.

Makerspaces provide students with instruction, supervision, and safe access to a wide variety of making tools.

ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø is widely regarded for our unique approach to hands-on learning and the ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø Shop has been integral for this approach. Nearly half of the curriculum at ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø integrates in some way with the shop’s wide range of fabrication spaces from 3D printing and laser cutting, to CNC milling. wood working and much more. We are excited to share the recent developments to our fabrication spaces and how they integrate with our unique curriculum and campus life.

During this week-long program participants will spend some time in the ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø Shop with the professional staff, faculty and students who run it, where they will learn about what it’s like to be part of a makerspace and how to build a maker community. A pedagogical view will be taken to provide steps through the planning, design, and teaching aspects of a makerspace and integration with an engineering curriculum. Groups will be formed to rotate amongst equipment categories (e.g., 3d printing, laser cutting-engraving, wood working, metal machining, etc.) to learn the capabilities, pros versus cons, common applications, and user access. Training in equipment commonly found in academic makerspaces, such as laser cutters, 3D printers and others is included.

In addition, we will cover fundamental principles of successful makerspaces such as:

• Understanding the general types of making equipment and their pros/cons.
• The importance of culture and community in inclusive makerspace
• Designing impactful curricular integration of fabrication through assessing impact
• Optimizing staffing and training models for student engagement
• Creating effective safety systems while optimizing access while minimizing boundaries
• Understanding safety and complementary policy, insurance, legal and regulatory issues
• Q&A session open to audience inquiries on applying the presented information to curriculum

Participants will have the opportunity to interact with ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø faculty, staff, and students who can provide subject matter expertise, feedback on prototypes, and insights drawn from their own experiences.

Who is it designed for?

The Summer Intensive program is designed for new and experienced faculty members and professional staff of educational institutions who are committed to making a positive impact in their respective fabrication and makerspaces through innovative and effective approaches to teaching and learning. Students and recent graduates are also welcome to participate in the program. K-12 educators are also encouraged to participate. Ask if you are interested in Massachusetts DESE Professional Development credit.

Cost and Requirements

The program fee for an individual is US$3,000. Groups from a single institution may participate as a team. All participants should plan to attend in person; remote participation will be permitted only in exceptional circumstances. If possible, participants should establish the broad scope of their makerspace goals before arriving on campus in order to make the most effective use of their time at ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø.

The fee includes 4 days of engagement on ÃÈÃÃÉçÇø’s campus in Needham, MA (USA), as well as lunch every day and an optional day of tours of local makerspaces. All other costs, including transportation and lodging, are the responsibility of participants or their institutions.

Tentative Schedule