Makerspaces are appearing in more and more libraries across the nation. They are a place where students can get creative and use the tools provided for them to create stuff. The focus tends to be on STEM tools and projects, but really, anything goes. There is no curriculum or due date, students are invited to use their own imaginations and set their own goals and timelines. Our makerspace is relatively new, but has been equipped with some really amazing hands-on products thanks to grants from Donors Choose, MEEMIC Insurance, and The Troy Foundation for Educational Excellence.
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The history of our makerspace:
We started with a room in the media center that students had never before had access to, at the time of inception the room was exclusively used by teachers for running common assessment tests and scoring.
Added a Lego Wall (thanks Donors Choose!). Conner and Mckayla were media center assistants and they were the ones who conceived, designed, and created the room.
Added our own personal touches. Here is one of the stools, salvaged from the art room and decoupaged by Mckayla.