SLO Mini Maker Faire
Photos courtesy of Elizabeth Lowham
Over the course of the year, CET provided financial and administrative support for the 2014 SLO Mini Maker Faire. A Maker Faire is a celebration of learning, doing and making where community members can celebrate DIY science and technology, sustainability, unique hand-made crafts, and educational exhibits. In addition to coordinating the on-campus resources for the Faire and serving as the fiscal agent, CET faculty and staff provided much of the organizational support and coordination for the event.
Working with community partners, including the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, (Sm)ART Studio, and iFixit, we estimate that the event drew over 4,000 people from across the county for a daylong celebration of invention, creativity and resourcefulness.
CET and our co-producers coordinated both in-kind and financial support from the City of San Luis Obispo, PG&E, Clever Ducks, Pacific Energy, New Times, The Tribune, The Sign Place, the Center for Excellence in STEM Education, and the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Engineering. The event hosted over fifty Maker booths, including stage presentations from Pete Hawkes (Binary Dance), Seth Bush (Chemistry Magic Show), and Clint Slaughter (SLO MakerSpace).
CET designed and hosted the kick-off design charrette in Winter 2014 that brought in community members to work with students to understand making and to jumpstart the process and theme of “Making Community.” CET supported the design and build process focused on creating an interactive centerpiece booth for the MMF. This project was a collaboration between Grace Yeh’s and Michael Haungs’ LAES 301/302 classes and Tom Fowler’s 3rd Year Architecture Studio. CET also supported the final construction of this interactive centerpiece booth for the Faire.
The Cal Poly Community presented several maker booths at the Faire, including: KCPR 91.3 Vinyl Spin Art; Cal Poly Audio Engineering Society; Cal Poly Innovation Sandbox; Cal Poly College of Engineering; Engineers Without Borders; Materials Engineering; and the CESAME Learn by Doing Lab.
News and Press Releases:
- SLO's Mini Maker Faire Spurs Big Ideas in Creativity (Tribune)
- SLO Mini Maker Faire Set for Saturday at Mission Plaza (Tribune)
- 9 Things You Missed at the Mini Maker Faire (Mustang News)
- Registration for SLO Mini Maker Faire Ends Friday (Mustang News)
- Maker Movement Returns to Town with Second Annual SLO Mini Maker Faire. (Mustang News)
- SLO Mini Maker Faire Unites Makers of all Ages (Mustang News)