Starting The Rockford MakerSpace
A special thank you to Pablo Korona and Conveyer for helping us launch, pitch, and convey our idea to Rockford.
https://twitter.com/PabloKorona
https://www.facebook.com/WeAllConvey/
TAC Rockford is proud to announce the founding and hosting of the first official MakerSpace in Rockford, Illinois.
Why have a MakerSpace in Rockford?
- We were inspired by other groups in the area, and from Chicago, Madison, Milwaukee, and Detroit all starting successful makerspaces. For years, Rockford did have a #MakerMovement for hobbies, arts, crafts, and school projects, but no permanent, public location to get together and work on a do-it-yourself project. We want to enhance and work with the #MakerMovement and turn Rockford into a great place to make things.
- Rockford has a rich history of makers and machinists. Everything from furniture making and CNC programming, Rockford has a huge base of skilled professionals who may have ventured into other areas, wish to teach others their trades, and to express their works and creativity to the community.
- People in and around Rockford are brilliant minds, skilled makers, and hackers -- they deserve a space to expand and call their own. Many have told us, "it's about time!"
How to join
- We are currently in the process of forming the committee that will manage and be responsible for the MakerSpace. TAC Rockford is simply pushing people through the door, offering a couple first physical locations and leased-starter equipment for free. Essentially, we want you (the community) to get involved any way you can and to shape what the MakerSpace will become.
- Join the official mailing list here, where we will keep you informed about joining committees, solutions, and how membership will work: http://eepurl.com/bKC5-n
Ideas we've received from the community
- Maintaining a library of crafts, ideas, and past maker recipes for inspiration to others. This will both be in printed and digital form, and be accessible to everyone.
- Children and teens will be welcome as members, and we will have a special focus working with local schools.
- Farming and agriculture should be a focus, given Rockford's historic roots started in farming.
- Incorporate a "hacker" ethos. Hackers are makers, too, and community hackerspaces are what really started the whole makerspace movement. The names are interchangeable, but the philosophy remains the same.
- Have multiple spaces for different trades, especially for general office/IT/computer/training work.
Who the space is designed for
- Artists
- Entrepreneurs
- Arduino and micro-controller enthusiasts
- Robot makers
- Farmers
- Retired machinists
- Coffeemakers (both the human and machine kind)
- 3d modelers
- Literally everyone
What can you do with a MakerSpace?
- Make birdhouses, custom furniture, or other DIY-made projects as gifts.
- You like working at home or in your garage, but maybe you need to go "out" for some inspiration.
- Learn more about machining, 3d modeling, programming, or other skills.
- Ask other people for help on a project.
- Run a business.
- Use technology and machines you never thought you would get to use because they were restricted-use, or too expensive to buy and store yourself.
- Build a time machine, but a flux capacitor is $36,000 on eBay, so you make one yourself or gather others to pitch in for it (and root/jailbreak it -- recommended).
For more information, visit the Rockford MakerSpace website: http://www.rockfordmaker.space
Facebook: http://facebook.com/RockfordMakers
Twitter: http://twitter.com/RockfordMakers
E-mail: contact@rockfordmaker.space
In the news:
- Making A Home For The Makers In Rockford -- Dec. 21, 2015 http://northernpublicradio.org/post/making-home-makers-rockford.
- Rockford MakerSpace: A community workshop, coming soon, -- Dec. 17, 2015, http://www.rrstar.com/article/20151217/NEWS/151219564.
- Out of the Box: Rockford a leader in maker movement -- May 17, 2014, http://www.rrstar.com/article/20140517/OPINION/140519449.