On behalf of Lamar Community College’s Innovate & Make Space (I&MS), the Lamar Community College Foundation (LCCF) requested and received a $7,500 grant from the El Pomar Southeast Regional Council. Funding which will largely benefit the I&MS in the form of scholarships and services.
Of the grant award, $2,500 has been earmarked to assist users of all ages with monthly memberships and the cost of certification on equipment, which can cost $20-40 per piece of equipment. It will also be used for in-stock materials for projects, and to defer costs for youth to attend K-12 maker camps or creative minds classes. The remainder of the grant will allow the I&MS to expand hours and offer contracts with industry experts for one-on-one consultations with users with special-project needs.
Reaching across multiple demographics, the I&MS seeks to provide a space where users can create and tinker, enrich their minds, and even improve their own well-being.
“Our makerspace is a place where all are welcome and have access to technology, tools, and ideas to design and bring their own designs to life,” said Laura Misenheimer, manager of the LCC I&MS. “Users receive industry-validated instruction on equipment in advanced manufacturing, construction trades, and sewn goods.”
The Innovate & Make Space connects local K-12 students, Lamar Community College students and staff, and the wider communities surrounding Lamar, Colorado.
In January 2017, after discussions with key economic groups about workforce needs, LCC began developing a makerspace that would connect student needs with community economic development requests.
In June of 2017, the I&MS renovated the existing art room to accommodate new equipment and a new flow of people through the space. They also bought two 3D printers, a laser engraver/cutter, a plasma cutter (software available in the makerspace while the plasma cutter is located in the welding shop), a CNC milling machine, hand-held router, vinyl cutter, two industrial sewing machines (one straight stitch and one overlock), and many tools.
Today, the I&MS is a fully-functioning makerspace open to the public.
The LCC Foundation does not currently provide direct assistance to community members or students utilizing the I&MS, except as general scholarships for full and part-time students taking LCC courses that incorporate the makerspace into their curricula. However, when the I&MS asked for assistance in growing its capacity, the LCC Foundation was excited to be a part of a solution.
The I&MS wanted to assist prospective and current users in enrolling in certification classes and utilizing the space thereafter. Primarily, they needed funds to help individuals and budding entrepreneurs who have business concepts that need to be prototyped and refined in the makerspace. Budding inventors and entrepreneurs benefit from the use of equipment, tools, and connections to fashion designers that the I&MS provides.
Thanks to the help of the LCC Foundation to secure grant funds from the El Pomar Southeast Regional Council, costs to these individuals may be lessened. The grant funds will cover monthly membership fees for identified individuals and costs for them to become certified on applicable equipment, as well as use of in-stock materials.
For more information on the LCC Innovate & Make Space, including its services, equipment, hours and available courses, visit lamarcc.edu/innovate.
For further questions, contact Laura Misenheimer at 719.336.1584 or laura.misenheimer@lamarcc.edu.