Curious about what a makerspace has to offer? Join us for an exclusive, guided tour of LaunchSpace! Explore our vibrant, creative environment where artists, inventors, entrepreneurs, and community members come together to learn, collaborate, and bring their ideas to life. During the tour, you'll get an up-close look at our state-of-the-art tools…
Curious about what a makerspace has to offer? Join us for an exclusive, guided tour of LaunchSpace! Explore our vibrant, creative environment where artists, inventors, entrepreneurs, and community members come together to learn, collaborate, and bring their ideas to life. During the tour, you'll get an up-close look at our state-of-the-art tools, equipment, and workspaces, including woodworking, metalworking, 3D printing, fiber arts, and more.
Our knowledgeable volunteers will introduce you to the various studios and share how each area supports a wide range of projects and skill levels. Whether you're interested in joining as a member, taking a class, or exploring how the makerspace can support your business or hobby, this tour is a perfect first step to getting involved!
Details:
- Duration: 45 minutes, with time for Q&A
- Location: LaunchSpace, 131 West Main Street, Orange, MA
- Cost: Free
- Who Should Attend: Open to all ages; anyone interested in learning more about our makerspace community
Brief History
LaunchSpace, Inc. is a 501(3)(c) nonprofit organization providing non-college opportunities to upskill, collaborate and develop new businesses in Massachuestts’s North Quabbin region of approx. 30,000 residents. Our 13,000 sq.-ft. makerspace facility supports creativity and entrepreneurship in fiber art, painting, printmaking, woodworking, pottery, leather, photography, 3D printing, laser printing and metal working.
LaunchSpace has also acquired a vacant 24,000 sq.-ft. school facility, Pleasant Street School (PSS), in partnership with the Town of Athol. Through the redevelopment of the school, LaunchSpace intends to drive the local economy through repurposing the school’s kitchen into a working community kitchen and the classrooms into business incubation suites and/or retail outlets as well as a childcare facility.
The LaunchSpace makerspace offers a three-tiered approach to community engagement: workforce development, education, and business incubation. The three-tiered structure forms a replicable approach to economic revitalization within semi-rural, post-industrial communities, which tend to have the highest rates of unemployment, poverty and limited access to economic opportunity. We offer an environment to share creative energy, a classroom for personal learning for all ages, and workforce training for re-entry into the job market.
Mission
To support innovative economic and community development in our post-industrial, semi-rural community by providing opportunities to explore and develop hands-on skills in support of enhanced personal satisfaction, increased employment value, and business incubation to benefit individuals, schools, businesses and the broader community.
How the Makerspace Operates
The makerspace is run by volunteers and one paid staff member. Each studio has 1-3 volunteer stewards or managers that are responsible for keeping their studio clean, safe, providing orientations to new members, and equipment training. General volunteers help with administrative tasks, facility maintenance, and special projects and events.
