Taos Makerspace and Community
Donation protected
What is the Taos Launchpad?
Taos launchpad is a 501(c)3 non-profit makerspace, education/vocational training center, digital media production studio, recycling center, and collaborative hub.
(photo: Laser engraved wood scraps)
What is a Makerspace?
Makerspaces are creative spaces located in communities, schools, and libraries. These areas are designed to engage participants in hands-on activities that teach twenty-first-century skills. The emphasis in makerspaces is placed upon educating students in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) subjects as well as digital and information literacy.
(photo: Optical illusion boxes donated by Twirl/View into electronics area)
Our Mission:
Taos Launchpad seeks to provide opportunities through programs designed to foster education, vocational access, and creativity.
Our Facility:
Taos Launchpad houses a facility with production and training capabilities in electronics, recycling, manufacturing, prototyping, visual arts, digital media, sciences, computer programming, woodworking, metalworking, automotive, agriculture, clothing/eco-textiles, and more.
(photo: 3D scanning on opening night in the music studio)
The Facts:
According to the US Department of Education, only 16 percent of American high school seniors are proficient in mathematics and interested in a STEAM career. Furthermore, only half of the schools who pursue a college major in a STEAM field choose to work in a related career. The U.S. is falling behind internationally, ranking 25th in math and 17th in science among industrialized nations.
(www.ed.gov/stem)
(photo: Soldering practice with Noah - He found all of the parts needed for his circuit on an old motherboard)
We are seeing the challenges students face in math and science first hand and are working tirelessly to fill in gaps that exist in our high socio-economic community and simultaneously, keep high expectations for students to be grade level proficient.
This hits closer to home if you live in New Mexico. Our state ranked 48th in the 2017 Quality Counts Report which shows that our state is almost at the bottom of the list in grades and test scores.
(https://www.edweek.org/ew/qc/2017/2017-state-education-grades-map.html)
(photo: Kyle demonstrating a tranceiver in the radio room)
The Solution:
To overcome this trend, students must be invested in hands-on, problem-based learning, that supports inquiry and student engagement. Students are engaged when they “devote substantial time and effort to a task, when they care about the quality of their work, and when they commit themselves because the work seems to have significance beyond its personal instrumental value.” (Newmann, 1986, p. 242).
(photo: Art and Design station)
Taos Launchpad is providing a safe and productive space for students, teachers, and creators to collaborate, solve problems, and MAKE.
Our Goals:
1: Provide high-quality, safe out-of-school-time programming for K-12 youth.
2: Develop 21st century educational and workplace readiness skills.
3: Offer a makerspace, science lab, digital media studio, and various art resources.
4: Host a wide-variety of STEAM workshops and programs.
5: Develop engaging community outreach projects.
(photo: Sewing station)
Diversity and cross-pollination of activities are critical to the design, making and exploration process, and they are what set makerspaces and STEAM labs apart from single-use spaces.
Increasing student engagement as defined above, providing authentic learning opportunities that draw from student's backgrounds, interests and academic needs while fostering a spirit of collaboration allows us to increase the interest in STEAM education and spark an interest among students in an area where little interest currently exists.
( photo: Taos Launchpad main area )
Workshops We Want to Provide:
Agriculture
Greenhouse Construction
Digital Media Production
Prototyping/Manufacturing
Programming/App Development
Financial/Business Literacy
Woodworking and Metalworking
Solar/Wind Energy
Radio Recording and Broadcast
Microcontroller Basics
Fashion/Jewelry Design
Science/Biology Labs
Electronic Diagnostics and Repair
Robotics
Textiles/Sewing
Vehicle Maintenance
(photo: Russell and Lex in the CNC/3D printing room)
What this fundraiser supports:
We need funding for hiring instructors, keeping the facility going, expanding on the services that we can provide, and most importantly- creating youth empowering opportunities.
Currently we are a team of five full-time volunteers working hard to pull this together and we need your help!
How you can help:
Sharing goes a long way.
Please tell your friends about the Taos Launchpad and help spread the word!
Volunteer with us.
We are seeking dedicated volunteers that have interest in helping our maker community grow. If you would like to sign-up please complete and submit the volunteer form here .
Follow us on our social channels.
Facebook : Youtube : Google
Tools, materials, and items can be dropped off Monday through Friday from 9am-6pm at the Taos Launchpad.
Contributions of any amount, small or large, is greatly appreciated!
If you would like to get involved or have any ideas for us - please send an email to [email redacted].
Thank you,
The Taos Launchpad Team
Taos launchpad is a 501(c)3 non-profit makerspace, education/vocational training center, digital media production studio, recycling center, and collaborative hub.
(photo: Laser engraved wood scraps)What is a Makerspace?
Makerspaces are creative spaces located in communities, schools, and libraries. These areas are designed to engage participants in hands-on activities that teach twenty-first-century skills. The emphasis in makerspaces is placed upon educating students in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) subjects as well as digital and information literacy.
(photo: Optical illusion boxes donated by Twirl/View into electronics area)Our Mission:
Taos Launchpad seeks to provide opportunities through programs designed to foster education, vocational access, and creativity.
Our Facility:
Taos Launchpad houses a facility with production and training capabilities in electronics, recycling, manufacturing, prototyping, visual arts, digital media, sciences, computer programming, woodworking, metalworking, automotive, agriculture, clothing/eco-textiles, and more.
(photo: 3D scanning on opening night in the music studio)The Facts:
According to the US Department of Education, only 16 percent of American high school seniors are proficient in mathematics and interested in a STEAM career. Furthermore, only half of the schools who pursue a college major in a STEAM field choose to work in a related career. The U.S. is falling behind internationally, ranking 25th in math and 17th in science among industrialized nations.
(www.ed.gov/stem)
(photo: Soldering practice with Noah - He found all of the parts needed for his circuit on an old motherboard)We are seeing the challenges students face in math and science first hand and are working tirelessly to fill in gaps that exist in our high socio-economic community and simultaneously, keep high expectations for students to be grade level proficient.
This hits closer to home if you live in New Mexico. Our state ranked 48th in the 2017 Quality Counts Report which shows that our state is almost at the bottom of the list in grades and test scores.
(https://www.edweek.org/ew/qc/2017/2017-state-education-grades-map.html)
(photo: Kyle demonstrating a tranceiver in the radio room)The Solution:
To overcome this trend, students must be invested in hands-on, problem-based learning, that supports inquiry and student engagement. Students are engaged when they “devote substantial time and effort to a task, when they care about the quality of their work, and when they commit themselves because the work seems to have significance beyond its personal instrumental value.” (Newmann, 1986, p. 242).
(photo: Art and Design station)Taos Launchpad is providing a safe and productive space for students, teachers, and creators to collaborate, solve problems, and MAKE.
Our Goals:
1: Provide high-quality, safe out-of-school-time programming for K-12 youth.
2: Develop 21st century educational and workplace readiness skills.
3: Offer a makerspace, science lab, digital media studio, and various art resources.
4: Host a wide-variety of STEAM workshops and programs.
5: Develop engaging community outreach projects.
(photo: Sewing station)Diversity and cross-pollination of activities are critical to the design, making and exploration process, and they are what set makerspaces and STEAM labs apart from single-use spaces.
Increasing student engagement as defined above, providing authentic learning opportunities that draw from student's backgrounds, interests and academic needs while fostering a spirit of collaboration allows us to increase the interest in STEAM education and spark an interest among students in an area where little interest currently exists.
( photo: Taos Launchpad main area )Workshops We Want to Provide:
Agriculture
Greenhouse Construction
Digital Media Production
Prototyping/Manufacturing
Programming/App Development
Financial/Business Literacy
Woodworking and Metalworking
Solar/Wind Energy
Radio Recording and Broadcast
Microcontroller Basics
Fashion/Jewelry Design
Science/Biology Labs
Electronic Diagnostics and Repair
Robotics
Textiles/Sewing
Vehicle Maintenance
(photo: Russell and Lex in the CNC/3D printing room)What this fundraiser supports:
We need funding for hiring instructors, keeping the facility going, expanding on the services that we can provide, and most importantly- creating youth empowering opportunities.
Currently we are a team of five full-time volunteers working hard to pull this together and we need your help!
How you can help:
Sharing goes a long way.
Please tell your friends about the Taos Launchpad and help spread the word!
Volunteer with us.
We are seeking dedicated volunteers that have interest in helping our maker community grow. If you would like to sign-up please complete and submit the volunteer form here .
Follow us on our social channels.
Facebook : Youtube : Google
Tools, materials, and items can be dropped off Monday through Friday from 9am-6pm at the Taos Launchpad.
Contributions of any amount, small or large, is greatly appreciated!
If you would like to get involved or have any ideas for us - please send an email to [email redacted].
Thank you,
The Taos Launchpad Team
Organizer
Taos Launchpad
Organizer
Taos, NM
