The ideas that will change our world tomorrow are in the minds of our students today.
It's our job as educators to mine those ideas and foster inspiration throughout our campus. Most recently, we have implemented a state-of-the-art Makerspace to provide students the environment and tools to bring their ideas to fruition.
Makerspace at Whitby
Constructed by Situ Studio—the same designers of renowned spaces such as the New York Hall of Science Design Lab and the Brooklyn Museum Visitor Center—the Whitby School Makerspace was made with aesthetic and functionality top of mind.
You may scratch your head wondering why we placed our Makerspace in the library, a space traditionally known for being quiet. In actuality, it was a very conscious decision. Libraries have always been hubs for shared resources, and while those resources have often been books, the needs of the library users have changed. As the needs have evolved, so have the resources. While it's still likely a student may need to borrow a book (don't worry, we still have plenty of those), it's just as likely the same student may need to use a hacksaw.
Read more about the evolution of libraries from Dr. Julie Marie Frye on our blog.
Learning within the Makerspace, like all learning throughout our school, is best when context and purpose is provided. While students may certainly learn new skills within the space like soldering, using a handsaw, among other things, these are learned with a goal or objective.
