15 Years of Building the Next Generation of Makers
- Travis Sluss
- May 20
- 2 min read
In 2011, we welcomed our first twelve students through the door of our 350 square foot space. There was no word yet for what we were building. "Makerspace" had barely entered the vocabulary of American education. What we had was a conviction: that kids learn best when they build things, break things, and figure out why.
Fifteen years later, more than 1,500 students learn with us every week, through our own locations and through the schools, libraries, and community centers we partner with across the region. What started in Mamaroneck has grown into five purpose-built makerspaces in Mamaroneck, Chappaqua, the Upper East Side, Brooklyn, and our newest location in Darien, Connecticut. We have developed more than 40 original curricula, built nine makerspaces of our own as we expanded, and designed and built spaces for schools and private clients that bring our total to over 20 makerspaces created across the New York area and beyond. And we have done it all with over 100 instructors who believe that young people deserve a space where experimentation is the whole point.
The road here was not always smooth. Like any small business, we have navigated economic headwinds, a global pandemic, and the heartbreak of closing a location we loved. But those experiences sharpened our focus rather than softening our resolve. Every challenge reminded us why the work matters: the kid who discovers she loves circuitry, the student who builds his first robot and cannot stop talking about it, the class that turns a simple prompt into something none of us expected.
What has not changed in fifteen years is the core belief that brought us here. STEAM education is not a supplement to learning; it is a foundation for it. Creativity, critical thinking, and the willingness to try something that might not work are skills that serve students for life. We have watched thousands of children grow up in our spaces, and we carry that responsibility seriously.
None of this happens without the families, schools, and community partners who have trusted us with their kids, or the instructors and staff who show up every day with genuine energy for this work. And most of all, it does not happen without the students who keep reminding us that curiosity is contagious.
Fifteen years in, we are just getting started.
Ready to see what we are building next?
Fifteen years and 1,500 weekly students from that first 350-square-foot room is incredible proof that "learning by breaking" was the right bet. I've been using a similar approach with my own kids and it's wild to see how far the movement has come—check out https://deepfacelab.pro
Fifteen years from 350 square feet to 1,500 weekly students is the kind of growth that only happens when you trust the process of breaking things. That first cohort in 2011 had no idea they were pioneers. I've been using https://hunyuan3d.dev
Fifteen years from 350 square feet to 1,500 weekly students is the kind of growth that only happens when you trust the process of breaking things. Curious how you scaled the maker mindset beyond that first room—I've been digging into https://aiphoto-editor.com
Fifteen years and 1,500 weekly students from that 350-square-foot leap of faith—proof that "build, break, figure out why" scales beautifully. I've been using https://crayo-ai.net
Fifteen years and 1,500 weekly students from that first 350-square-foot room is such a powerful reminder that conviction scales. I've been using this to rethink how we structure our own build nights, and it's making me want to dig into your curriculum guides. https://2d-to-3d.org