We have the technology. We can make [us] better… stronger…
A handful of changes have just been approved at MakeICT to help us expand our impact. Here’s a summary!
tl;dr:
- devICT is now a part of MakeICT (with Seth Etter as Program Director)
- Tom McGuire is appointed as Program Director of the MakeICT Makerspace
- Changes to standing rules:
- Doing work-work at MakeICT is a-ok
- Minors are allowed at the Makerspace (<16 need an adult)
- Gina Keezer is our new volunteer Social Media Wizard
- Adam Hall is our new volunteer Safety Sultan
ntl;gaar (not that long, go ahead and read):
Polling is closed, votes are counted, and the results are official. The big news: devICT is now a part of MakeICT!
We’re all pretty excited about what this team-effort can lead to. devICT has already been impactful in the Wichita community, and our combined efforts can only lead to greater things. Seth Etter, who started devICT and has been leading them to date, will continue his work as the devICT Program Director.
Adding devICT has allowed us to adopt a new, modular, organizational structure, which will make it easier for us to create and define other programs within MakeICT. With that, Tom McGuire has been appointed as the MakeICT Makerspace Program Director.
We also voted on and approved the removal of a clause in our standing rules which technically prevented members from working on for-profit projects. This rule was put in place to prevent people from hogging equipment and turning the Makerspace into their personal factory, but the language made it far too reaching, so it’s been removed. We’ll address the machine hogging problem if it actually ever arises.
The last change to the standing rules was the addition of language to be more specific regarding minors. Long story short, they can totally be members, but we will require a parent/guardian to cosign their membership form, and members under 16 years old must be accompanied.
Lastly, I want give a shout out to Gina Keezer and Adam Hall, who have generously agreed to volunteer for MakeICT. Gina has been handed the reigns to our social media accounts, and Adam is responsible for creating and ensuring compliance with safety protocols. We’re very happy to have them on board!
Get your August update, here – hot off the press!
In the media
We’re a community of lifelong learners at MakeICT, and one thing some of us learned in August is how difficult it can be to take a serious photo for the newspaper. Our attempts at toning down the giggles made us look a little scary… sorry about that!
So what put us on the front page? Well, John Bardo, Wichita State University’s President, recently announced plans to create an Innovation Campus in Wichita. During his announcement, President Bardo gave a brief summary of the maker movement, and he went on to explain how a maker space can serve as a powerful resource to enable members of the community. It was very compelling.
Naturally, we couldn’t agree more!
When The Wichita Eagle found out that Wichita already has a makerspace, and that several people responsible for its existence have very close ties to Wichita State, they wanted to learn more about us. There were a few phone calls and some photos, but we certainly didn’t expect to be front page news!
A makerspace on WSU’s campus is still a couple of years out, but it seems like everyone is open to some collaboration. We’re always looking forward to any opportunities we have to make our community better!
And then, as if that wasn’t enough attention for one month, our Vice President and founding member, John Harrison, was featured again for his work on the design plans for the Douglas underpass.
MakeICT is fortunate to have board members who are intelligent, diverse, and involved. What a perfect example of having the right people at the right time!
In the community
Our flagship workshop for August was our Little Free Library building workshop. Several people came to learn and build – we even had some local experts with tips, advice, and knowledge about having and maintaining a Little Free Library in Wichita.
The Little Free Libraries we built during the workshop will be donated to TOP Early Learning Centers to help improve their neighborhoods around Wichita. They aren’t quite ready yet. We still need to put the final touches on – good thing we have lots of good help!
Other goings-on
We also hosted an OpenSCAD workshop for the 3D printing enthusiasts out there. OpenSCAD is like a programming language for 3D modeling. It’s very handy for creating precise models and modifying parameters through its procedural nature. Very cool stuff!
Tom has launched a new special interest group for people interested in building their own CNC machines. Tom’s well-known for his making-abilities, but he’s basically internet famous for his 3-axis CNC Instructable. As of this writing, that thing has 1,444,414 views. WOW!
You can learn more about this special interest group by visiting its wiki page here: http://makeict.org/wiki/index.php/Makers_CNC.
Lastly, we’re currently running a survey to determine what Wichitan’s want in a makerspace. So far, it looks like there’s a lot of interest in a woodshop, a laser cutter, and a better 3D printer. Now, this isn’t just your plain-ol run-of-the-mill survey. It has a fun, creative side to it! Check it out, and share your creation with us!
Let us know what YOU want in your makerspace: http://makeict.org/surveys/equipment-survey/
What can a makerspace do for you?
Better question: what would you like it to do?
We’re collecting answers from everyone in and around Wichita to find out what YOUR dream makerspace looks like.
I spent some time trying to make this survey fun… or at least a little less boring than your average survey. If you have a couple minutes, fill it out and share it!
http://makeict.org/surveys/equipment-survey/
August is upon us
We’ve been so busy at MakeICT, it looks like we missed last month’s update. Oops? Let’s bring you up to speed 🙂
Old stuff first:
- We sponsored a booth with activities at Riverfest in the Cox Kid’s Corner. Barb and James S. put in a lot of work organizing everything, so be sure to tell them “good work!” when you see them!
- We signed a 6-month lease for our current location, so we’ll be here through December. We were pretty bummed when Bluebird Arthouse closed, and it was a little stressful, but our current location is a good fit for the short term. The long term plan is in progress!
- We had our annual meeting, and it was a lot of fun. Good food, good people, good times! We even had an internet celebrity come and share what he makes! We also awarded Barb with our first “Contributor of the Year” award for all that she’s done. We love you, Barb!
Here are the new directors after the annual meeting:- President: Dominic Canare
- Vice President: John Harrison
- Treasurer: Jens Torell
- Secretary: Mike Doolittle
- Director-at-large / Program coordinator: Tom McGuire
- Director-at-large: Barbara Davis
- James L. did another 3D printing workshop for us, this time in the middle of the week. We weren’t sure how many people would turn out (we usually do our workshops on Saturdays), but it was one of our best-attended workshops yet!
- Barb did a basic sewing / e-textiles workshop. We made felt owls with light-up eyes. Neat!
Ok, now to newer stuff:
- We published our first press-release to announce two super-big-deals:
- Our 501c3 status is now official! What does that mean for you? Well, any donations you provide are now tax-deductible? Hooray!
- We also received our first grant through the Wichita Community Foundation! It’s going to keep us alive while we strategize and plan! Huge thanks to them for their support!
- MakeICT showed up at the Kansas City Maker Faire. This is going to sound like bragging (and maybe it is…):
- We brought so many makers/projects, that we occupied an entire aisle at Union Station. I don’t think any other *spaces even came close!
- Tom’s drumbot, Scott’s drawbot, and Dustin/Nick’s DLNA projects all won “Makers of Merit” awards. We’re so proud!
- In our first PPPRS showing (Power Wheels racing), MakeICT’s Cow Car finished 4th (of 13) overall and took home two 1st place medals for moxie. Woohoo!
- Check out our pictures from MakerFaire KC on our Facebook page
- Instructables/Dremel sent us over $1,100 in new equipment. With that, Tom did a great workshop with lots of philosophical and practical tips on “how to make”. Those tools and all their accessories are at the space and available for our members!
- Speaking of Instructables, our EL Sign project from a previous build night was actually featured on the Instructable’s front page! They even awarded us with a premium membership for free! Kudos to everyone who collaborated on this project and the Instructable!
- After missing our RiverFest deadline for the electric bus, the group took a short break. After regrouping, so much progress has been made! The bus had all sorts of low-voltage electrical issues, but they’ve all been sorted out now! Headlights, tail lights, brake lights, turn signals, flashers, wipers, interior lights. By George, I think we’re ready for the inspection! If you want to help out or just check out the project, we meet on Thursday nights in Goddard (there’s usually a carpool from Wichita)!
- Last (but not least), our electronic door access project has picked up steam! We now have a couple of people working on the software and the hardware! A new striker has been installed on the door, and our first functional test of the web server + card reader interaction worked beautifully! If you want to help out or just check out the project, we meet on Wednesday nights at MakeICT!
And looking forward:
- We have a special meeting this Sunday (that’s tomorrow!) to introduce members to Startup Wichita and devICT, to explore the possibilities of joining forces!
- On August 23rd, we’ll be hosting a build-your-own Little Free Library workshop! We will also be building 2 LFL’s for TOP Early Learning Centers, which should be a great addition to their neighborhoods!
- On August 16th, we’ll be hosting another 3D printing workshop. This one will have a narrower-focus on just printing, instead of trying to cover the gamut (modeling, printing, the printer itself, etc)
Whew! That was longer than I thought it would be. If you’re still reading this, put your device away and go enjoy some sun!
Our EL sign project has been featured on Instructables!
We love collaboration at MakeICT. Earlier this year, Instructables and Cool Neon sent us some supplies and asked us to make something out of it.
We needed a lit sign for our side door, so a few of our members came up with this:
Pretty cool, eh? It took us a couple of months, but we eventually completed an Instructables article with a step-by-step guide on how to build your own. The fine folks at Instructables liked the project so much, they featured it on their front page! We’re so proud of our makers!
To view the Instructable, visit http://www.instructables.com/id/Animated-EL-Wire-Sign/
For the Arduino source code, visit: https://bitbucket.org/dcanare/makeictsign/src
Special Meeting: Joining forces with Startup Wichita and devICT
Startup Wichita and devICT have been an important part of the Wichita community, and they’d like to form a partnership with MakeICT. We’re holding a special meeting to open the discussion about what this relationship will look like, examine the mutual benefits, and ask/answer any questions. A vote for approval will be held some time after this meeting.
More information is available on our wiki.
Facebook event
New equipment: Dremels, Dremels, Dremels!
For Instructable’s July Build Night, MakeICT received a very generous gift from Dremel and Instructables.
How generous? 5 Dremel rotary tools, 3 Multi-Max oscillating tools, and 15 accessory kits. That’s over $1,100 in tools and accessories. Nice. We used these for a workshop over the weekend, and now all of the tools and accessories are available for use at the ‘space!
For those of you who have tried to do any of this type of work at MakeICT before, this should be a very welcomed addition. Prior to this, we had just one rotary tool, and… uh… well… the new ones are way better!
How do we say thanks? All they ask is that we make a couple of entries on the Instructable’s website using these tools and add links to the products we used. Any project which uses a Dremel could work!
So, dear makers, what have you been working on? Do you need a versatile tool which can cut, sand, polish, buff, grind, or etch? We have just the thing at MakeICT (several, in fact)! You can even help us say “thanks!” by putting together an Instructable!
Remember, open hack nights are open to the public and occur every other Monday evening at 7pm. Our next one is July 28th!
–dom
Our 501c3 Status is official, and we have received our first grant!
We have big news to share today! Here’s the press release we sent out!
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMakeICT receives 501c3 status and first grant
WICHITA, KAN. – The MakeICT Board of Directors is excited to announce that they have been formally granted 501c3 nonprofit status. In addition, MakeICT has been granted funds from the Knight Foundation Fund of the Wichita Community Foundation to help with the costs of six months’ rent/utilities, new equipment, new membership, and future planning/development.
Prior to receiving the grant, MakeICT was subleasing its space from Bluebird Arthouse and Studios in the Delano district. When Bluebird Arthouse closed recently, MakeICT had little time to find new accommodations within the organization’s small budget. In June, a new lease was signed with the property owner, and with the help of the Wichita Community Foundation and the Knight Foundation Fund, MakeICT will continue its operation at 914 W Douglas, while also growing its membership base.
“I think it’s fair to say that we’re all excited for the possibilities,” says Dominic Canare, president of the MakeICT Board of Directors. “The grant is tremendously helpful, and while it seems like we should all be able to relax a little now, the financial assistance and our new 501c3 status creates so many opportunities. We’re here to serve the community, and every bit of support is certainly appreciated!”
About MakeICT
MakeICT is Wichita’s Makerspace, part of an international movement where makers, creators, crafters, DIYers, and hobbyists assemble in a collaborative workspace to share tools, equipment, and knowledge, while socializing and connecting with others.MakeICT members have access to a 3D printer, foam cutting machine, CNC machines, PC’s, and various other tools and equipment. The organization offers regular workshops and classes, free to the public, covering a variety of topics such as electronics, sewing, 3D printing/modelling, computer programming, and anything else Wichitans are interested in learning & sharing. Visit their webiste at makeict.org to learn more.
About the Wichita Community Foundation
Founded in 1986, the Wichita Community Foundation’s mission is to be the catalyst that creates lasting legacies by partnering with people, families, and organizations to devote resources to causes that matter. The Foundation is a public nonprofit organization with 300 charitable funds and agency endowments, representing $68 million. For more information about WCF, visit wichitacf.org or call 316-264-4880.Contacts
MakeICT: Dominic Canare, President, MakeICT, 316.712.4391
Wichita Community Foundation: Courtney Looney, Communications Manager, 316.264.4880, clooney@wichitacf.org
2014 Annual Meeting
https://www.facebook.com/events/446834675453768/
Can you believe another year has already gone by? It’s been an exciting one, and we have a lot planned for the next year!
Join us as we celebrate another year and prepare for the next with voting, food, and project exhibits.
That’s right – at this year’s annual meeting, we’re inviting makers (that’s YOU!) to bring a project (or many!) to show and tell. We want to see what you’re making!
3:00 pm: Doors open for maker’s to setup early
4:00 pm: Meeting (agenda link below)
4:30 pm: Voting (board positions, rules, budgets, etc)
5:00 pm: Food + project exhibits / show and tell
Meeting agenda and more details are available on our wiki.
Board positions are up for election every year. Interested in being a bigger part of MakeICT? Do you, or someone you know, have what it takes to help our community grow and strive? Nominations will be accepted from June 2 to June 15. More details about voting are also available on our wiki.
MakeICT Future Planning Committee: Call for members
Help me create your dream makerspace by joining the MakeICT Future Planning committee!
Over the past few weeks, we have been meeting with the Wichita Community Foundation to discuss funding opportunities to help MakeICT improve our space, our equipment, and our classes/workshops. We even have a couple of potential locations to review already!
The first assignment for the committee is to compile a list of what we need for formal space planning (such as an architect), as well as what we desire in terms of physical space (how much square footage for individual workspace, for collaborative space, for project storage, for a classroom, for a lounge, etc).
This committee is open to all of our members. I want you to join, so let me know when you’re available by answering this poll!