NPC plans to launch makerspace with grant
The National Park College Innovative Technologies Center will be using a regional workforce continuation grant for a makerspace, the college announced Tuesday.
The grant, worth $890,280 from the Arkansas Department of Education, is slated to assist the ITC in continuing its success by launching a makerspace in the fall 2018 semester, as well as providing more opportunities for industry partnerships and additional educational programming for grades K-12 and college students.
The makerspace will provide a creative space to share ideas and build relationships that can lead to lifelong learning and career opportunities. It will be a place for employers, students, and community members to explore concepts and create prototypes. Students can interact with industry partners to explore career opportunities.
Julian Post, educational programs coordinator for ITC, told The Sentinel-Record earlier this month that the makerspace will encompass opportu-
nities for the community. He said he hopes to have maker events in September and October for the community to get a feel for the makerspace.
“I want to do things like silk screen printing, or if people want to come in and build a birdhouse but make it a little more technological so it tells you how many times a day a bird goes in and out or it’s also an outdoor thermometer,” he said. “If you can dream it, it can happen.”
The makerspace will also serve as a place for prototype development and industry training, he said. When talking with an industrial student recently at the ITC, Post said the student commented “You can’t get this kind of training without a job, and you can’t get a job without this kind of training.”
Post said one of the outcomes of the makerspace is that the participants gain an understanding of how to incorporate emerging technologies and experiences to enhance fabrication skills, product development, educational experience, and life skills.
“I’ve been working with Alliance (Rubber Company) pretty heavily, and they’re highly interested in the makerspace for more of product development type of things where they may not need to invest in certain equipment that we have and can test things for them,” he said.
ITC director Robin Pelton said in the release that industry partners are now looking to the ITC “to take this programming to the next level and establish more advanced training to augment the skill sets of employees and provide them with training they need to further enhance their organizational outcomes.”
“We are thrilled to receive this additional funding and feel that the ADHE understands our vision and the potential economic impact the ITC can have on our regional workforce efforts,” she said.