Calling All Makers
By Albert B. Kelly
I don’t know if you’ve had
a chance to visit Steamworks yet but if not, then Friday March 18th
or Saturday March 19th might be a good opportunity to stop by and
see what they’re offering. For those not familiar with Steamworks, it’s the
Cumberland County College’s satellite facility in downtown Bridgeton located at
46 E. Commerce Street.
The place is filled with
some important technology tools including a 3-D scanner and printer, laser
cutting and etching, handheld tools and a recording studio to name a few. What’s
good about Makers Day on March 18th & 19th is that anyone can come down and
get a basic lesson on whatever they at Steamworks.
Are you into music? Maybe
you’ll want to check at the recording studio so whether you’re a songwriter, or
just want to have some fun, their recording engineer will record your voice and
give you an MP3 to take home. They have hundreds of Karaoke backing tracks
available on both Friday and Saturday from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.
If you’d like to make
something or create a gift for someone, the folks at Steamworks will show you
how to make custom laser cut gifts- perhaps you can have your own personalized
jewelry box or a gift box from a variety of readymade templates they’ll have
available from 1:00pm to 3:00pm on Saturday.
It’s part of their
workshop on laser etching and cutting which will allow you to engrave a variety
of materials they have on hand including journals, leather portfolios, wood
plaques, and even photo engraving on acrylic. This session runs on Saturday
from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.
If 3-D is your thing,
Steamworks will show you how to use the 3D scanner and 3D printer. As an
example, their technician can scan your head and help you create a lifelike
Lego head that you can print and take home- maybe something for the kid who
loves Legos. The 3-D sessions are Friday from 5:00pm to 7:00pm and Saturday
from 3:00pm to 5:00pm.
Finally, for those who
like to work with the “old standbys”, Steamowrks will be running a Carpentry
Youth Workshop on Friday from 3:00pm to 5:00pm with a focus on using traditional
woodworking hand tools for creating simple and fun projects that you can take
home.
Our own Bridgeton Public
Library will hold their Makers Day events on Saturday March 19th
from 10:00am to 3:00pm. They will have a number of activities and workshops that
day that are fun, informative, and in some cases “hands-on”.
Everything from 3-D printing
and jewelry-making with artist and jewelry maker Renee Jasquith, to a workshop
that lets you see what it’s like to be a news anchor or reporter using a green
screen and editing to create a video good enough to show off your skills.
The bottom line is that
Makers Day is free and it’s an opportunity to see and experience current
technology here in Bridgeton in a relaxed and informal setting. Who knows might
grow out of this or where it might lead?
Very shortly we’ll be
launching our student sponsorship program for youth who want to be part of
Steamworks but are unable to afford it. We’ll be approaching our business
community, organizations, and individuals to ask for interested sponsors. If
you are willing to sponsor a student, please contact my office at (856)
451-3407 Ext 1 and we can follow up with you from there.
To attend a workshop at
Steamworks, you don’t need experience, a college degree or any special
credentials. Workshops and classes are open for anyone and they will work with
you at your own pace. If Spanish is your first language, that’s not a problem
because they will accommodate our Spanish-speaking residents as well.
As I’ve said for some
time, one of the reasons that resource-poor communities struggle with growth is
a lack of access to the knowledge and training relevant to today’s higher
paying jobs. Since most of those careers are shaped by digital technology, it’s
imperative that minority youth start early getting comfortable with that technology
Part of breaking the curse
of low expectations and stereotypes that pigeonhole minority kids into low
paying- low skilled jobs is to encourage them to see themselves as inventors,
tech entrepreneurs, coders, programmers, scientists and everything in between.
That’s why Makers Day
matters as a starting place- one where our kids can dream and be curious and
creative- and that’s no small thing.