The faculty of National Park College's Innovative Technologies Center welcomed the community to the college's new Makerspace on Friday in a creative way.
In place of a ribbon-cutting ceremony, staff members gathered to cut a piece of lumber and have those in attendance sign it. The materials will be used to build a birdhouse that will commemorate the Makerspace's grand opening.
NPC President John Hogan said the Makerspace offers new ways to engage people of all ages in the community and connect them with higher educators which, in turn, will provide new ways to keep people in Garland County "so they stay here, make money, produce well and improve the quality of life here in our community."
"That's really what the Makerspace and the ITC is all about," he said.
The ITC and Makerspace, located at 2233 Albert Pike Road, will eventually move to campus, Hogan said, pending the completion of the college's new Student Commons Building, which will free up space in the Gerald Fisher Campus Center.
"I don't think this will be the last ribbon cutting, grand opening thing we will do for all this, but the more attention we can put on this, the more engagement we will have," Hogan said.
Julian Post, educational programs coordinator for the ITC, encouraged those gathered to give feedback about any additional equipment they see the Makerspace needs in order to address the interested of the community.
"The Makerspace, I do want to say, is a resource for this community," he said. "As a matter of fact, there have been many people who have stepped up in the community when they found out that we did need some help -- this is not something we could do alone -- so really this is a place for the community, by the community."
A group of NPC students have formed a maker club that will represent the Makerspace on campus and in the community.
"I think this is a very important thing for National Park College," Post said. "It's important for recruitment and retention. It's important for a K-12 audience, for a resource, and the community, as well. What this group is going to do as part of their mission is they're going to bring this to campus."
Post said the large turnout for the grand opening is a sign that the ITC "must be doing something right and that we are going to do something right."
The Makerspace will open to the public every Friday beginning this week with a free maker session. The last Friday of each month, Post said, will have similar free events for the community.
"The hours are going to be between 3 and 7 p.m. and it's open to the public," he said, referring to this week's upcoming event. "We're going to be doing paper circuits. We're making greeting cards with electronics in it. I promise you anyone will be able to make one.
"We're also doing slime. We have a slime professional coming, Wendy Wilson, and she's coming in to show us how to do it."
This month's free maker event will be Halloween-themed, Post said, and will serve as an introduction to the Makerspace and allow makers in the community to network.
"It's important to note that this maker event is one that's just going to be very simple, and it's more of an informal introduction to the Makerspace," he said. "It's something that is completely simple. It's nothing hazardous, there's nothing dangerous, we're not going to be using the big tools. There's a possibility that someone might could use the laser cutter where someone could draw something and cut it out, but it's important to note simple, easy to do. It's really for people to come in and get familiar with it, and meet other people."
By hosting free monthly maker events, Post said he hopes to see the community as a whole hone its skill set.
"It will get a little more interesting every time because we're assuming people will gain skills," he said. "If they start from scratch, they'll gain skills."
Local on 10/21/2018