[dropcap sid=”dropcap-1445029389″]M[/dropcap]akerspaces, shared facilities where people use tools and resources to work on projects, are popping up around the country and making news. And for the last three years, Baruch’s students, faculty, and staff have been able to take advantage of this innovative trend. Under the auspices of the College’s Lawrence N. Field Center for Entrepreneurship and through the support of Baruch College Student Technology Fees, demonstrations and learn-by-doing workshops are offered several times a year to the entire College community.
Fun, hands-on Makerspace experiences create a perfect environment for innovation (i.e., new business) by mixing old and new technologies. Called “play for a purpose,” Makerspace fosters collaborative interaction and teamwork, encourages interdisciplinary connections, and demystifies science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics, especially for groups underrepresented in those “STEAM” areas. Not only does Makerspace bring out the innovator, tinkerer, and designer in event participants, it has also been a core resource for several business and new media courses.
“We are trying to help shape a new generation of students who own their learning, embrace their curiosity, and think critically about the world around them,” says Allison Lehr Samuels, a lecturer in the Zicklin School of Business’s Narendra Paul Loomba Department of Management and co-founder and facilitator of Makerspace since 2014. “Maker Hub demonstrates the College’s commitment to fresh approaches and innovative learning both in and outside the classroom.”
—Diane Harrigan