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Last week, the Bryn Mawr Makerspace held its “Welcome Back” reception to kick off its community programming for the academic year. “The Makerspace offers opportunities for people to explore and deepen their learning in an experiential, hands-on way,” said Bronwen Densmore, the College’s Makerspace Coordinator. “This event is just one way to introduce ourselves to new users and reconnect with folks who haven’t been here in a while to let them know what we’ve been up to and all the things we have to offer.” Attendees had the chance to view the different machines in the space and try out sample projects. These included creating an embroidered version of the College’s lantern logo, heat-pressing vinyl stickers onto clothing and pencil cases, and producing buttons using a button maker.

“The makerspace offers such a range of technologies,” said Sean Keenan ‘20, Educational Technology Specialist and one of the LITS staff members who led the event. “It’s important to give students sense of how many things they can do here.” Keenan said the button maker, a new addition, was a particular hit. “We’ve had a lot of requests for this type of machine since students are always accessorizing their clothing and bags,” he said. “It was so exciting to watch folks break in these new tools.” Keenan’s colleague, Annika Bergstrom ‘26, Educational Technology Assistant for LITS, agreed. “As a recent alum, I love connecting with current students and opening them to opportunities,” they said. “A lot of people helped me find resources when I was a student, so it was cool to return that favor by helping current students learn about all the amazing stuff we have in the Makerspace.”

With the welcome event done, Densmore said the Makerspace is resuming its regular semester schedule: a combination of drop-in/open studio hours, project-based workshops and collaborations with faculty who have introduced elements of making into their courses. "We understand that people come to the Makerspace with different levels of experience, so we like to offer a range of entry points. Some folks need to get their hands a little dirty and experiment before they can articulate their interests, others come with very specific needs and goals." This semester Bryn Mawr can look forward to workshops on 3D printing and design, creating stuffed animals and soft sculptures, printmaking, laser cutting and more. Over fall break, the Makerspace will be offering an intensive designed to introduce students to pattern blocking and simple garment construction. The latter will be an introductory workshop where attendees will use digital tools and ancient techniques to create clothing that they can continue to modify and wear. Those interested in these workshops can find them on the College’s Events calendar and the .

As for other programming, Densmore encouraged community members to reach out. “We’re always open to suggestions. We like hearing from people directly about what interests them and what kinds of resources they'd like to see offered by the Makerspace. This is a space that belongs to the college community, and we are always working to reflect the diversity of thinking that happens here Those interested can reach out by emailing the Makerspace or visiting its page on the College website to find our drop-in hours and appointment booking tools," she said. "Working in a collaborative, interdisciplinary space is always exciting. A lot of the time, we're learning alongside the students, faculty and staff that use the space. We encourage folks to reach out over email, book an appointment or just drop by, even for things they think might be a little out of scope. Those are often the most interesting and rewarding projects.”