Remember that UW study in the make-o-sphere that kicked off around this time last year? Well, it came to a successful conclusion very recently and we all met up for lunch yesterday to celebrate. Here is PhD student Katie Kish with Professors Jason Hawreliak (now at Brock) and Stephen Quilley (UW) who drove the study.
Funded by a modest grant from the Metcalf Foundation, this posse connected with various partners to run four makerly workshops to teach everything from welding to sewing to electronics to woodworking. I’m not an academic, but I think it’s safe to say that equipping folks who wouldn’t consider themselves makers with hands-on skills results in all sorts of positive outcomes. The good news is: this is just the start. The group has plans to build on this proof of concept, not only studying but also supporting a maker ethos right here in Waterloo Region and more specifically within the context of the university. Outstanding. Follow their progress on the ReMaker Society site.
One of the first things I did when I was engaged in an advisory role is to loop in my other peeps including my pal Agnes Niewiadomski who ended up running the sewing workshop at kwartzlab. Also pitching in, particularly with guidance on women in the make-o-sphere were my good friends Stephanie Rozek, Cat Coode, and Dinah Davis. I was happy to connect Cam Turner and his Maker Club effort to this project as well. So good to have smart friends. Good on the Guelph makers with Diyode for pitching in, too.
All this goodness is intersecting with the increasing number of students I’m seeing down at kwartzlab which can only indicate rising awesomeness here in WR.
Make!
DW