15 Years of Building the Next Generation of Makers

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?

Explore our programs at all five locations or sign up for a free trial class today.