A look back…

Posted by on January 2, 2015 in Uncategorized | Comments Off on A look back…

A look back…

2014 was quite the year for Makerspace Urbana. We expanded our open hours, held more workshops and special events than ever before, and acquired many new cool shared equipment items that are now available to the public! We also had our first annual maker celebration under our new Heartland Maker Fest name and saw huge growth from the previous year.

Thanks to the amazing energy and dedication of Makerspace Urbana volunteers, we were able to organize, host, and attend over 40  special activities this year! (see below) And these are all in addition to our weekly Computer Help Desk, Open Hours, and Py-CU Hack Nights.

We also launched our Five Year Five Hundred Campaign aimed at increasing our monthly sustaining donation amount to over $500 per month. We’re on track to surpass our goal and it’s all thanks to the support of over 30 wonderful community members donating as little as pi ($3.14) each month! If you would like to help the Makerspace remain sustainable and support our growth, consider becoming a sustainer by donating here.

We can’t wait to see what 2015 brings and we hope you’ll join us in making cool things happen!

2014 Makerspace Urbana Special Achievements:

  • Py-CU’s first year anniversary event (Saturday, Feb. 1, 6-9pm)
  • Mitch Altman’s Cool Kits workshop @ MU (Saturday, Feb. 15, 2-5pm)
  • Electric Waste Orchestra concert (Thursday, Feb. 20, 7-9pm)
  • UIUC Fine Arts class visit @ MU (Friday, Feb. 21, 8-9:30pm)
  • Hardware Freedom Day Event (Saturday, March 15)
  • Open Hours & Arduino‘s 10th Birthday celebration (Saturday, March 29)
  • Family Science Day @ Redbird Arena, Normal, IL (Saturday, April 5, 2014, 11am-4pm)
  • Graduate School for Library and Information Science tour (Saturday, April 5, 2014 – 1:00)
  • MU table @ Champaign Public Library’s 2014 Home School Fair (Saturday, April 19, 10am-noon)
  • LED workshop @ Dr. Howard Elementary (Wed, April 23, noon)
  • AGORA Festival (May 2nd and 3rd)
  • Table at the Market (7am-noon) + Garage Sale (Saturday, May 10, 10am – 4pm)
  • MU participated in a Panel on Makerspaces & Illinois Emerging Technologies Report
  • PyCU’s Women’s IT and Computing Open House (Saturday, May 31, 1-4pm)
  • Martin Wolske’s Community Informatics Studio class (June 19 @ 2pm)
  • Art @ the Market (July 12, 7am-noon)
  • Bloomington Children’s Museum workshop (July 17 @ 3pm)
  • Outta mouths of babes workshop (July 26, 2-4pm)
  • Summer Make-a-tion 2014 workshops (Aug-Sept):
    • Knitting
    • Harry Potter Wands
    • Tablet Case
    • Cross Stitch
    • Soldering I
    • Soldering II
    • 3D Printing I
    • 3D Printing II
    • Arduinos
    • Beer/Mead brewing
  • Innovation Living-Learning Community workshop (Thurs, Aug 21, 3pm)
  • Pride Fest Table (Saturday, Sept. 6)
  • CUDO Plays launch party
  • Py-CU workshop hosted by Elizabeth at Univ of Illinois
  • UIUC NSBE “When I grow up, I want to be an engineer” Workshop (Thurs, Oct 2, 4-5:30pm)
  • MU hosts CIGG Workshop (Thurs, Oct. 9, 6-7:30pm)
  • Design For America workshops I & II (Oct. 4 & 25, 1-3pm)
  • International Day of the Girl Table (Saturday, Oct. 11, 9am-noon)
  • Organized 2014 Heartland Maker Fest (Saturday, Oct. 18, all day)
  • Urbana Free Library Zombie Prom and Costume Workshops (Friday, Oct. 24)
  • Sew-O-Ween 2014 Open Hours (Oct. 22, 25, and 29)
  • Society of Creating Anachronism Glass & Fire Workshop (Sunday, Nov. 23)
  • Chambana.net workshops on Constructing Technology and Computer Basics (Saturday, Dec.13, 1-3pm)
  • Makerspace Urbana 5yr Anniversary party and fundraiser (Monday, Dec. 15)