Photo by Emory Bowdler
By Emory Bowdler
The Willow School’s new Maker Space is one of the new additions to the Brimmer campus, formerly Fortier, during the 2022-2023 school year. With all the new rooms available for high school teachers to have their own classrooms, the arts and engineering spaces got a big upgrade. Named the Maker Space, occupying the old middle school theater room, this all-new setup is equipped with new engineering and visual art tools that are split into two sides.
The most important thing to know about the Maker Space is that it is open to students at any time (with teacher approval, of course). Art projects have never been easier to complete!
The visual arts half of the room is full of new tools for art electives and CAVA students to take advantage of. Ceramics students have an abundance of clay bags, sculpting tools, paintbrushes, and many different colored glazes to use for various projects. The fabrics and threads section is jam-packed with needles, pin cushions, and hundreds of thread varieties for weaving, embroidering, sewing, and knitting. There are canvases ready to be used, along with a dozen or so paint cups, and many brushes of all different sizes and shapes. Don’t be scared to get paint on your clothes, because there are plenty of aprons underneath the new sink that was also installed.
Ms. Brown, one of the CA Visual Arts teachers, said she loves “just the sheer amount of space. I love how active the space is. It feels like a real shop.” When asked what she appreciates most about the new space, Ms. Brown says “even though it sounds silly, I love the new extension cords.”
The engineering half of the room is focused on allowing students to create new projects using STEM. There are four 3-D printers lined along a back shelf, all for student use, as well as a wood shop. A robot-driving area is located on the left side of the room for robotics students to take their trials to a new level. The new robotics ring lets the after-school club adapt to the different objectives every week conveniently and efficiently. Mr. Owen, robotics club leader and engineering teacher, says, “We used to have to set up in the field and pack it up every day.”
But that’s not all – there are also plenty of workstations and power tools available for the AC Engineering classes. The new woodshop spans along the right side window, complete with a Miter saw, laser cutter, and various other tools. As long as you have supervision, these tools can be an outlet for many projects and ideas students may have.
“People just come in with new ideas,” Mr. Owen said, “and have a space to do it. One of my favorite things is being able to work right next to Ms. Brown.”
So if you feel the need to sculpt, build, draw, or just want to do something creative, make sure to check out the Makerspace located in room 107 on the first floor.
