community

Class at NoVA Labs in northern Virginia

The Challenge of Running a Community Makerspace

Jim Sweeney of NoVA Labs My guest on this episode of Make:cast is Jim Sweeney, the treasurer of NoVA Labs, a community makerspace in northern Virginia. Jim talks honestly about the challenges of growing a makerspace. With 700 members and many programs for young makers in the community, NoVA Labs has a bold vision of […]

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How Printables Is Pushing 3D Printing Forward With Flash Contests

How Printables Is Pushing 3D Printing Forward With Flash Contests

3D printing has gone from a niche DIY hobby to a huge industry while we’ve been watching over the past decade. However, one complaint has managed to wiggle along side the growth and remain, at least a little bit, valid. “So much of stuff that is 3D printed is just useless junk” I know that […]

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Community Maker Award: Noelle Conover of Matt’s Maker Space

Community Maker Award: Noelle Conover of Matt’s Maker Space

Have you ever watched children in a makerspace? They come alive! Especially the children who never had a chance to use their hands or their minds in creative ways. My own children, now in their 20s and 30s, love visiting makerspaces. They never had a woodshop class or sewing in school. In the 1990s, schools […]

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Emotion and Empathy Are Glue for Makers

Emotion and Empathy Are Glue for Makers

In 2020, Dr. Andreea Gorbatai and two co-authors published a research paper in the journal Organization Science titled: “Making Space for Emotions: Empathy, Contagion, and Legitmacy’s Double-Edged Sword.” It’s about the maker movement and what holds it together. It turns out, it’s not skills and tools as much as it is emotions and empathy — […]

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Future of Fab Lab Tulsa

Making and Thinking Big in Tulsa

With Nathan Pritchett of Fab Lab Tulsa In episode #22 of Make:cast, I learn about the new building for Fab Lab Tulsa from its Executive Director, Nathan Pritchett. The new building is under development and scheduled to open in 2022. The project had started well before COVID-19 but has stayed on track even during the […]

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Makers Point the Way for Economic Recovery

Makers Point the Way for Economic Recovery

Makers are fascinating people. They take on multiple identities, based on multiple roles. Their many roles weave a tapestry of interrelationships – as makers combine skills, ideas, and resources to generate dynamic innovation, business activity, and even jobs. More than ever, America needs those qualities of makers for economic recovery. Recovery starts with new businesses. […]

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Announcing 00 Grants for Maker Gown Production!

Announcing $5000 Grants for Maker Gown Production!

Want to contribute to the PPE movement on the ground but aren’t sure where to start? Get Us PPE is launching a grant program and curriculum based cohort to kickstart DIY manufacturing groups interested in making and distributing impermeable gowns. GetUsPPE celebrates the maker community for filling pressing, short-term PPE shortages with innovative designs. They […]

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