The following is from the Maplewood Memorial Library:
The maker movement in the United States isn’t just a hobby; it’s having a significant impact on school curriculum development and growing local economies. To celebrate making and maker culture, residents throughout New Jersey will come together on Saturday, March 19, 2016 in libraries, schools, museums, homes, and other community locations.
Maplewood Hilton Branch is proud to be a participating site for New Jersey Makers Day. Community members of all ages are invited to join us for an exciting day filled with activities focusing on maker culture.
NJ Makers Day is part of the Maplewood Ideas Festival; read more about that here.
NJ Makers Day is designed to be a statewide event that celebrates, promotes, and in many cases may introduce maker culture, as well as the values associated with making, tinkering and STEM-based learning. In 2015, the inaugural NJ Makers Day drew over 13,000 individual attendees to 130 participating sites – including Maplewood – across all 21 counties in the state.
Maker spaces across the state are having a significant impact on education and job skills development by providing access to people, information, resources, and tools that facilitate making to a wide variety of skill levels. NJ Makers Day allows communities to share hands-on programming opportunities, demonstrations and displays, and the expertise of the individuals and organizations that make, create, and develop right in their own backyards.
“We are ecstatic to be able to bring this type of programming to the Maplewood community,” said Irene Langlois, Head of Teen Services. “We are committed to finding ways to help people to learn new skills and to work collaboratively on exciting hands-on projects.”
Hilton Branch’s NJ Makers Day Schedule:
Cardboard Construction 10 am – 11 am
Have fun in the construction zone with MakeDo tools and cardboard.
Marble Roller Coaster 11 am – 1 pm
Using pipe insulation and masking tape you’ll create the track – maybe with a loop or two- for the marbles!
Building Blocks 10 am – 1 pm
First build blocks out of business cards and then build a fractal (a figure with repeating patterns) out of the blocks. We will make a community menger sponge!
Paper Weight Challenge 10 am – 1 pm
Build a structure with only a single piece of paper, scissors and tape that will hold up six books!
3D CAD mini workshop 10 am – 1 pm
Customize a name medallion using Rhino 3D to be printed on our 3D printer.
Sound Off at the Create Space 10 am – 1 pm
Check out our new recording studio! Record your impressions of NJ Makers Day!
Play-dough Engineering 10 am – 1 pm
Build structures with play-dough, straws and strawbees.
Circuitry Test Kitchen 10 am – 1 pm
Build simple circuits using Snap Circuits, LightUp and LittleBits kits. You can also make your own light up bookmark!
For more information, please contact Irene Langlois at (973)762-1622 ext. 5018 or visit www.maplewoodlibrary.org. The Hilton Branch is located at 1688 Springfield Ave. Find out more about NJ Makers Day at www.njmakersday.org.
