The Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies took a group of students and staff to Ames, Iowa to visit their new makerspace. It opened in 2020 during the pandemic with over 140,000 square feet of space spread over 5 floors to house a multitude of labs, classrooms, and common spaces. At times it was overwhelming to dream at this scale. To say it was impressive is to completely undersell the lived experience of those on the tour.
“The Iowa State Makerspace was amazing! There were so many creative spaces that were incorporated into their five story building dedicated to the Makerspace. The loom and weaver were some of my favorite machines that we saw. The tour provided me with a lot of inspiration for new projects that we can incorporate here at Saint Mary’s,” said Alyssa Jones.
Each semester, the interns go on a tour of a makerspace in order to see what others are doing within this space and how different institutions define and implement “makerspace” in their communities. Last spring we went to Madison to see the UW-Madison engineering makerspaces. This fall’s tour of ISU was our second adventure touring spaces, and our students did an amazing job of asking questions and staying engaged during our 2+ hour tour from the space’s Director.
“The tour of Iowa State’s Student Innovation Center with Executive Director Jim Oliver was eye-opening. Seeing the advanced equipment and varied spaces for creativity, from go-kart making to glass blowing to virtual reality, it really broadened my perspective on what’s possible here at Saint Mary’s,” said Priyanka Satish.
Everything for a lab with Moon Surface Soil to race cars to a student run retail store were all exceptionally impressive. We got to see a group of student entrepreneurs shooting a TV commercial in their studio. There was a graduate student showing off their 3D scanner and virtual reality lab space. Everyone on the tour was mesmerized by the glass blowing studio with 4 active furrances. And this is just touching the surface of what we saw.
One of the things that happens on these tours of large state facilities is that our students get a sense of scale – seeing 30 3D printers running at once is very intriguing, but also requires a huge commitment of resources. We always walk away with ideas and add things to our wish list going forward. The conversation in the van on the way back is always full of “What if” or “could we” and “how much do you think it would take to…” comments that make the whole thing worth it.
From Madison’s tour, we have recently implemented both an embroidery machine and a wood cutting router CNC machine in the Anthony 59’ and Sandra Adducci Family Makerspace. Both pieces of equipment have been wonderfully successful at drawing in more students and generating significant work for the staff in the Institute.
We are looking forward to our Spring tour adventure and where the van might go next time!
