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NORTH METRO BUSINESS JOURNAL
MAY 2021
conwayarkansas.org
The Maker Movement in the North Metro GRACE RAINS The Maker Movement takes us back to the days when we created with our hands, as well as providing an opportunity for innovation
resource, specializing in different backgrounds
Makerspace staff pride themselves on bringing
such as art, physics, and coding.
in subject matter experts to expose their
“Makers come together to be creative,
audience to skills like programming Arduino,
and collaboration. Truly taking off in the
inventive, and work together to solve daily
casting in resin, Linux scripting, paper making,
early 2000s, it is founded on the principle
problems. We have become a ‘throwaway
using an oscilloscope, and embroidery, just to
that anyone who creates is a ‘Maker,’ and
society,’ and the maker movement has made
name a few.
makers come from all types of backgrounds,
great strides to correct that mentality,” said
skill sets, and interests. It is a broadening of
Jason Huselton, Master Maker. “Makers use
has even begun to enter the classroom. Two
DIY culture, in an ecosystem encompassing
parts from discarded items to make incredible
local teachers serve as Maker Educators in the
technology, coding, 3D printing, art, and
gadgets and products. We are an instrumental
UCA Makerspace to bring STEAM education
stretching to prototyping of products that
part of our society, providing services and
to children and introduce them to the world
can propel entrepreneurship.
technology that have only been available at an
of making through Youth Maker Mondays,
industrial level.”
STEAM camps, and other outreach efforts.
The UCA Makerspace, powered by the
The Maker Movement spans age groups and
“Children learn by doing,” said Sharon Cone,
Conductor, is a public-private partnership between Startup Junkie Consulting and the
Youth Educator. “This is why it is important
University of Central Arkansas and is at the
to introduce students to the Maker Movement
center of maker culture in the North Metro.
at an early age. Creating, improving,
Located in Donaghey Hall on the UCA campus,
collaborating, tinkering, and idea building are
students, faculty, and community members
all skills that are developed through the Maker
receive access to a multitude of machines and
Movement. This produces students who are
technology to create, expand their knowledge,
innovative, independent problem-solvers for
and become a part of the Maker Movement –
our future!” Many members of the Maker Movement are
all free of charge.
hobbyists, experts in the field, or students,
Maker amateurs and professionals, and even
but they can all be innovators – solving
those who don’t yet identify themselves as a maker, can walk into the space and jump right
The Makerspace offers filament and resin
problems, creating new products, or providing
into the Maker Movement. Master Maker
3D printing, laser engraving, a wood CNC
value to the community as a whole. Some
Jason Huselton and two maker fellows spend
machine, and an embroidery machine by
makers take their ideas and springboard into
their days teaching others how to use the
appointment. Drills, sewing machines, and
entrepreneurs. Anyone can bring a product
equipment and tools, providing training on a
other digital fabrication tools are available at
idea or innovation into the space and work
variety of topics, and creating an environment
any time to start or finish a project.
with the staff to develop a prototype of their
for makers to meet and collaborate. Maker Mentors also frequent the space and serve as a
A central tenet of the Maker Movement is the development of new skills. The UCA
product before pursuing a patent or beginning mass production.
