Houston, we have a Fab Lab!
A brand new Fab Lab is under construction in the BakerRipley East Aldine Campus and is set to open in late summer. The community continues to work together to determine the strategies that will make this lab a success.
On February 27, more than 30 community members, partners, students and educators gathered for a second design studio session. The Design Studio was co-facilitated by BakerRipley and TIES Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM.
Participants discussed the plans for teaching, learning and measuring success at Fab Lab Houston based on the design principles already established at earlier meetings.
The community got an opportunity to expand on their vision of the Fab Lab and watched videos on what others have accomplished. In an interactive night, participants imagined their ideal place and discussed the entrepreneurial and innovative possibilities the lab will offer.
Fab Lab Houston aims to cultivate a community of makers by providing resources and opportunities for collaboration, entrepreneurship, STEM education, professional development and certifications for enterprising work.
Located in our new East Aldine campus it will serve the greater Houston region providing access to shared fabrication tools and equipment in digital fabrication, woodworking, jewelry and metalsmithing, welding, ceramics, electronics, robotics, fiber arts, screen printing and more.
This initiative is possible thanks to a partnership between BakerRipley, Chevron and the Fab Foundation.
Raul Macias, an East Aldine resident who’s actively involved in the community, was at the visioning session and he’s certain this will change the lives of many.
“Now that I’ve seen the technology that will be available I think it’s going to open a whole new world for the people who are interested building and creating stuff.”
A few more sessions will take place this year to plan activities that will support the design principles, identify additional community stakeholders and develop a timeline to put activities into action.
A sneak peek
Earlier in the day, staff from the East Aldine Management District and other community members took a tour of the new BakerRipley East Aldine Campus.
