Education in the 21st Century: SCC Makerspace
PROJECT DETAILS
Timeline
May 2017 - Jan. 2019
(1.5 years)
Tools
- 3D Printer
- Laser Cutter
- Roland TrueVIS SG3-540
- Shop tools and equipment
- Squarespace
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe XD
- Autodesk Fusion 360
Role
- Project Manager
- Outreach Coordinator
- Marketing and Storytelling Lead
- Visual Design
- Program Design
- Video Production
- Equipment Trainer
People
FOUNDING MEMBER / PROJECT DIRECTOR
Tom Cappelletti
FOUNDING MEMBER / ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Michelle Zamora
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Matt Vandiver
TECHS
Erin McDowell
Cody O’Farrell
Christian Espinoza
About Sacramento City College
Sacramento City College (SCC) was founded in 1916 by Belle Cooledge. With an all-female class as its first graduates, SCC began with the spirit of inclusion at its very heart. Sacramento City College Makerspace was founded almost exactly 100 years later. In 2017, a group of modern day pioneers decided to forge a new path for education. With inclusion still at its heart, SCC Makerspace is leading the way in providing in maker-centered education and preparing students for careers of the future.
My Why
I saw an opportunity to design a space where students could become inspired by education. A place for them to build community and fuel their passions. Understanding their skillsets and interests, they could make informed decisions about their lives and career paths.
Outputs
GOAL
To cultivate a maker mindset.
Build community by encouraging students to realize their imagination has no limits.
At the 2017 Maker Faire - Interactive games project created by SCC students and submitted to CCC Maker as part of SCC’s Makerspace funding proposal
CHALLENGE
The future of education.
As a founding member, I contributed to securing $800,000 to design and launch Sacramento City College’s first makerspace. The project was funded by the CCC Maker Initiative, an emerging action strategy under the Strong Workforce Program. The $17 million initiative was designed to grow a statewide network of STEM/STEAM-focused makerspaces linked to California Community Colleges to develop a workforce for the innovation economy and align 21st-century skills with STEM/STEAM research and practice.
SCC Makerspace clean room: 3D printers, electronics, podcasting room, large format printer/cutter, and lounge space, April 2018
APPROACH
Design, test, iterate.
In the process of designing a space for students to collaborate, share ideas, work on personal or school projects, learn about new tools and machines, we iterated different versions of the space. Every day was a usability test where we gained feedback and important insights from students.
SCC Makerspace promotional event and a student using the Roland printer/cutter, April 2018