Allan Hancock College was one of 24 colleges to receive a CCC Maker Implementation Grant from the California Community Colleges (CCC) Chancellor’s Office. The college was awarded $350,000 to build an inclusive makerspace community in collaboration with the Santa Maria Public Library and the Santa Maria Discovery Museum.
In January, CCC Maker awarded Hancock an initial grant of $40,000 to demonstrate its visionary partnership. The result culminated in a maker’s weekend with Friday Night Science at Hancock on May 5, and a Maker Faire at both the library and the museum on May 6. More than 2,000 people attended the events. The “maker movement” centralizes around the idea that everyone has the capacity and ability to make something from start to finish.
Robert Mabry, associate professor of machining and manufacturing, along with Hancock faculty members Trevor Passage and Susannah Kopecky, collaborated with the college’s office of institutional grants to develop a unique makerspace proposal.
“Our grants office researched the possibility of teaming up with the library and museum to see if it could be done,” Mabry said. “After the success of the Maker Faire weekend events, all three institutions came away convinced there is a market for this movement.”
The college will also provide internship opportunities to students and embed making into the curriculum. Hancock’s makerspace will open the Computer Aided Design (CAD) lab, machine and welding labs to students, faculty, and the entire community to provide a safe platform for tinkering with projects. Student interns will monitor the labs and use a cargo trailer to set up makerspaces in local K-12 schools.
All members of the community are invited to sample the makerspaces at the college, library, or museum. Currently, the Santa Maria Public Library offers Saturday afternoon makerspace events with various arts and crafts projects, 3D printing lessons, and a “take it apart” station. The full calendar of events is available through the library’s website at cityofsantamaria.org/city-government/departments/library.
This article appears in Aug 3-10, 2017.