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The Nest makerspace will both support learning that our students are interested in, such as robotics, as well as activities that they don’t yet know are of interest. This space will help Andover accomplish what libraries are best at when it comes to supporting the learning of young people: creating wonder. —John Palfrey, Head of School
Step 1 An Idea Is Hatched At Andover, good ideas can move fast. And that is exactly what happened with the makerspace. In less than six months, the makerspace went from an idea presented in a white paper written by Barker and other faculty colleagues as part of the strategic planning process, to a fully utilized space in the basement of the Oliver Wendell Holmes Library ready for students this past September. Many people across campus were involved, including several girls in the global Technovation program and Roberto Rabines ’16, who created a 20-slide presentation in support of a makerspace. Colleagues from the OWHL, Tang Institute, Office of Information Technology, and Office of Physical Plant were instrumental, as were those in the Office of Academy Resources, who helped to secure funding from the family and brothers of the late Walter Alexander ’53.
Step 2
Create the Space
Going for “speed and simplicity,” members of the community came together in summer 2015 to clear out a section of the OWHL basement so the makerspace would be ready for the start of the academic year. A whopping 25,000 books were shifted throughout the OWHL in the month of July to make room. On August 1, construction began, implementing a basic design that Barker had come up with by collaborating with students and colleagues. Shortly after, IT was able to network the room.
Students Ben Bolduc ’16 and Natalie Yeh ’17 attend a computer science class in The Nest taught by David Rea, visiting scholar in connected learning at the Tang Institute.
Step 3 Order the First Machines Barker and his team started with the basics: a couple of 3-D printers, a laser cutting machine, and the necessary software. In keeping with the ethos of a makerspace, students unpacked and set up most of the equipment themselves. This is, after all, a “doing” space, where connected learning opportunities are everywhere. Andover | Winter 2016
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