All posts by Clayton Bromley

Events & Activites

MakeTime For Kids – March 18 1pm-4pm

Hey Parents,

We are doing it again! On March 18th MakerSpace Nanaimo will be holding its monthly MakeTime for Kids Event. Check out our photo albums for lots of pictures of our past events.

We run this events in collaboratively with Sarah Bromley from Kids Learning code. This month we have Aaron Halsall and Henry Zhang, two biology students for VIU joining us. These two will be bringing in two different type of microscopes, some pond and soil samples and be introducing any kid interested to the world of microscopy.

On top of the Microscopy Section, we will have sections on: Vex Assembly, Basic electronics with Snap Circuits, 3D printing demonstrations and an introduction to our 3D printing workshops, Basic Robotics Programming with Dash and Dot, Introduction to Scratch Programming, and of course our classic wood working project ( Project to be determined. Note: Due to material costs and pre-fabricating packages for assembly we charge an addition $10 for these take home projects)

As always, the event runs from 1pm – 4pm and is a $10 entry fee for each Adult/Child pair. Tickets can be purchased here – https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/maketime-for-kids-march-18-tickets-32652982951

Please Share! We are a non-profit society and have a very limited promotional budget donated by our members and would greatly appreciate your help getting the word out.

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PI Day is Here! Join Us for Our Raspberry Jam Night

Pi Day is coming – March 14th. Time for a Raspberry Jam at Makerspace Nanaimo!
A Raspberry Jam is:
• A chance to learn about the Raspberry Pi computers.
• An opportunity to share what you’ve been doing with a Pi and find out what other enthusiasts have been doing with Pi’s.
Some of us at Makerspace are also interested in the tiny ESP8266 series boards, so there’ll be some of those around as well. And of course you can get a tour of the space while you’re here!
Come to MakerSpace Nanaimo on Tuesday March 14th to join in the fun. We’ll be starting around 6pm but there will be people on hand from mid-afternoon onwards.
There will be demos, discussions, explanations, a variety of Pi’s set up to try out and add-on boards that let you do, well, pretty much anything you can imagine. BC Robotics will be set up to sell you an assortment of Pi bits if you need any.
It’s free – though we’d appreciate a donation towards the cost of Pi-zaa and Pie, it’s going to be fun, and everyone is welcome.
Take a look at http://www.raspberrypi.org/ to learn about this amazing little machine.
Visit http://makerspacenanaimo.org/ for latest details of the event.

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MakeTime For Kids – February

Hey Makers and Supporters,

Well another MakeTime event has come and gone. It is my pleasure to announce that this was our best one yet. With volunteers, we had over 100 people participating.

Thank you to all that helped make this happen and for supporting our Maker community. Thank you for the time many of you have poured into these events and for your commitment to continue pouring time into future ones. As wonderful as the numbers are, the real success was all the happy and engaged faces that filled the space. Better yet, those face included all generations.

These events are geared towards the kids but it always amazes me how much the parents and even the volunteers take from these experiences. Yesterday was no exception.

Here are some pictures that I took and that others have sent to me. Sarah and I couldn’t be happier to be surrounded by so many people that want to make this happen. It is a true pleasure to be a part of such a wonderful community.

Sincerely,
Clayton Bromley
MakerSpace Leadership Team

Events & Activites

MakeTime For Kids – February 18

Nanaimo Parents,

Makerspace Nanaimo will be holding our next monthly MakeTime For Kids event February 18th between 1pm – 4pm.

Our members have gotten together and are coordinating a monthly children’s event which is called “Maketime For Kids” (ages 5-14). We hold these events on the third Saturday of every month. The drop in fee is $10 per adult-kid pair (free for members), and we provide up to six STEM based activities for kids to experiment, build, learn, and play.

We are a Makerspace, which by definition is a community workshop. We provide a space and the tools for our membership to create and innovate. Members pay $40/month to be a part of our society and are given the ability to access the space 24/7. Our society is 95% funded solely by our member base. We have no paid staff and everyone that helps out does so on a volunteer basis. (There are some rare exceptions for select specialized workshops.)

If you would like to see these events continue and for us to expand what we provide to the community, please share our posts and/or consider becoming a member or volunteering. One of the feedback points that we get regularly is that people didn’t know we are doing this. We do not have a promotional budget and any promotions you see have been donated by one of our members. So please send this to someone who would be interested, share in your PAC/parent groups, or share on your wall!

Our greatest strength is drawn from an involved community. So come and join us and share our passion in creation and innovation.

Event Page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1826959154258645/

Purchase tickets here:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/maketime-for-kids-feb-18th-1pm-4pm-tickets-31516272018

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Ladies Learning Code Volunteer Appreciation & 2017 Planning Party

Join Ladies Learning Code Saturday from 6-9pm at the space. The LLC team will be celebrating their successes in 2016, enjoying a few beverages, and planning workshops for 2017. Join them if you fancy a free beer and some snacks!

Register Here!
Join the Facebook Event

Check out this infographic of some of their stats from 2016 in the meantime: https://infograph.venngage.com/p/186041/2017-llc-infos

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MakeTime For Kids

On November 19, 2016 between 1 – 4 PM, we will be holding our second MakeTime event for the Nanaimo community, an event that we are holding monthly.

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/maketime-for-kids-tickets-29407844655

MakeTime is a children’s drop in event, geared towards ages 6 -14, with a focus on developing self-education skills. MakeTime’s focus is to provide a space for kids to “learn to learn,” with a variety of stimulating projects which will encourage each child to discover their own interests, and develop their own methods of diving into those interests.

During the three hours, we will be breaking the space into sections to provide a variety of open ended learning environments. A section leader will be provided within each section, and each child is to be accompanied by an adult guardian to help guide them (One adult is madatory for each child). Learning experiences will include basic woodworking, electrical circuit building and design, 3D printing, and a variety of STEM based kits will be available to build and experiment with. A $10 entrance fee (free for Members), will provide one child and adult pair access to the space for the event.

Makerspace has been attempting to create child focused programing since we opened in December 2013. After a great deal of deliberation throughout our leadership team and member base, we have decided to create a program that stayed true to what we are: an environment that encourages collaboration and innovation based on our own personal interests and ideas.

Makerspace has acquired enough materials and educational kits to initiate the first few MakeTime events. In order to continue offering a dynamic variety of educational experiences, we are still looking for donations both monetary and in-kind. Any donation of STEM learning kits, LEGO, VEX, Meccano, or any other modular building platform (used or new) would also be appreciated. As a Makerspace we are always looking for tools as well.

A big thank you to our current donors. Specifically Coastal Community Credit Union and RB Engineering. As well as Makespace Nanaimo sponsors BC Robotics, Canem Systems, Fastenal, Inuktun, Thinkbox Manufacturing, and VMAC.

Thanks for taking the time to learn about our new community initiative. Also please consider a cash donation as cash provides the ability to ensure we are facilitating innovation with appropriate tools.

Events & Activites

MakeTime For Kids

On October 22 between 1 – 4 PM, we will be holding our first MakeTime event for the Nanaimo community, an event that we will be holding monthly.

MakeTime is a children’s drop in event, geared towards ages 8 -14, with a focus on developing self-education skills. MakeTime’s focus is to provide a space for kids to “learn to learn,” with a variety of stimulating projects which will encourage each child to discover their own interests, and develop their own methods of diving into those interests.

During the three hours, we will be breaking the space into sections to provide a variety of open-ended learning environments. A section leader will be provided within each section, and each child is to be accompanied by an adult mentor to help guide them. Learning experiences will include basic woodworking, electrical circuit building and design, 3D printing, and a variety of STEM-based kits will be available to build and experiment with. A $10 entrance fee (free for Members), will provide one child and adult pair access to the space for the event.

Makerspace has been attempting to create child focused programming since we opened in December 2013. After a great deal of deliberation throughout our leadership team and member base, we have decided to create a program that stayed true to what we are: an environment that encourages collaboration and innovation based on our own personal interests and ideas.

Makerspace has acquired enough materials and educational kits to initiate the first few MakeTime events. In order to continue offering a dynamic variety of educational experiences, we are still looking for donations both monetary and in-kind. Any donation of STEM learning kits, LEGO, VEX, Meccano, or any other modular building platform (used or new) would also be appreciated. As a Makerspace we are always looking for tools as well.

Thanks for taking the time to learn about our new community initiative. Also please consider a cash donation as cash provides the ability to ensure we are facilitating innovation with appropriate tools.

Uncategorized

Father’s Day Workshop

Workshop Format:

Bring a special child in your life to this workshop and enjoy a fun day of learning and play in celebration of Father’s Day! Presented by Girl’s Learning Code in Partnership with Makerspace Nanaimo.

PLEASE NOTE: This is a two part program. Join us for the morning only (10:00 – 12:00), afternoon only (12:30 – 2:30) or the entire day!

 

Morning Session

10AM to 12PM: Game Design with Scratch – Bring Your Own Laptop

This experience offers kids the opportunity to dip their toes into the world of game design! Brainstorm modern day game ideas with others in a super fun environment, learn basic design principles, character interaction techniques, and audio integration. Using Scratch, a beginner level programming environment that encourages mathematical and computational skills, your imagination will come to life in a new and digitally engaging form.

 

Afternoon Session

12:30PM to 2:30PM: Hands-On with Dot & Dash and Snap Circuits – Bring Your Own Mobile Device (Android or iPhone / iPad)

Ever wanted a robot to clean your room? In this session, we’ll be programming robots to respond to voice, navigate objects, dance, sing and even communicate with other robots! Using innovative tools Dash & Dot and Snap Circuits, kids & parents will learn about robotics, circuitry, and other tactile technical concepts that they can explore through educational play. Concepts taught will include basic circuit functions including motors, power sources, and switches, and basic robotic programming such as movement, conditional logic, loops, and interaction.

*LEARNERS CAN REGISTER FOR ONE SESSION, OR BOTH!

 

Requirements:

This workshop is BRING YOUR OWN LAPTOP in the morning, and BRING YOUR OWN HANDHELD DEVICE in the afternoon, so each parent or guardian/youth pair is required to bring one laptop (for morning session) and one smart phone or tablet (for afternoon session) on the day of the workshop, as well as their own food. Any Android or iOS device can be used for a handheld device. If you are only attending one session, you will only need the hardware required for that portion of the day.

Need a loaner? Other Questions? Contact nanaimo@ladieslearningcode.com and we will do our best to get you a laptop or handheld device to use for this workshop.

 

Who Is This Workshop For?

This is a beginner level workshop for children 7-11 years old and their parent / guardian / relative / older sibling.   

While Girls Learning Code is focused on welcoming & encouraging Girls in STEM, boys & men are welcome to attend! No prior programming experience or technical knowledge is required beyond knowledge of basic computer operation. All programming is done in your web browser or in a mobile app!

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October 27, General Meeting

Hey Makers,

Tomorrow night’s General Meeting, with the hopes of some member focused space improvements, will focus on the two following topics:

1. Space layout and planning.
2. Committees maintenance and structure

Take some time and consider what your ideal uses of the space would be so we can put together a good idea of what everyone is interested in seeing.

If you are part of a committee consider what has worked well and what are some ways we can improve upon our current mechanisms.

If your not part of a committee and would like to take on some responsibilities or just want to be help, consider what areas you might be interested in helping in. There will be an opportunity to get involved moving forward.

Sincerely,

Makerspace Leadership Team