Makers Mill Pilot Program: It’s all about community engagement

WOLFEBORO — As the various building renovation contractors begin to wrap up, pack up and move out of Makers Mill, a new team of worker bees is moving in: the Makers Mill Pilots. This dedicated team of approximately 20 volunteers is leveraging all the ideas and plans that have been incubating so far to put the finishing touches on the makerspace, test it, and turn it into a reality.

The Pilots are currently engaged in painting interior walls, refinishing floors, and redesigning the kitchenette. They’ve also split up into teams, each representing one of the makerspace workspaces, to collaborate on ideas and decisions for floor plans, tool and equipment lists, standard operating procedures, storage solutions, workbench designs, and develop best practices as they test out the spaces and provide important feedback. In the process, Pilots are playing a hugely important role in testing out the internal communications flow and functionality, many of them at a new frontier with technology they’ve never used before.

These volunteer Pilots are essentially the beta team, preparing Makers Mill to be safely up and running later this summer offering a variety of memberships and programs in a space that’s already been tried and tested.

This Pilot Program continues the participatory approach to creating Makers Mill that has been implemented from the get-go. Community engagement in creating the makerspace has been, and continues to be, a number one priority involving public visioning and brainstorming sessions, design charrettes, online surveys, hardhat tours, focus groups, interviews and LOTS of meetings.

The Pilots are now carrying this collaboration forward by sharing their various experiences, skills, and enthusiasm with each other. Those who are IT savvy are coaching those new to some of the platforms guiding Makers Mill’s operations and communications. Others with organizational management skills are helping with timelines to keep Pilots on track, and with guidance on developing SOP templates that are consistent across the various workshops. The Jewelry & Metalsmithing team and the Robotics & Electronics team are working together on how to create a space that works for them both. Ditto the Fiber Arts and Fine Arts teams. The Woodworking team is not only planning for their space but supporting the other shops with the construction of workbenches and storage options. Everyone is invested in creating the best possible community makerspace and vocational center for Carroll County.

Let’s give a huge shout out to the Makers Mill Pilots: Ashley Hibbard, Betty Brown, Cara Flitner, Claes Thelemarck, Darryl Parker, Dave Bolduc, Deb Ryan, Dennis Hart, Diane Cooney, Eli Roxby, Jeanne Flanagan, Kyle Reynolds, Laura Maroon, Lynn Willscher, Mark Eiler, Mark Hempton, Mary Lyon, Megan Young, Scott Keller, Stephanie Ellis, Stephen Berry, Tilde Lanberg, TK Kennedy, and Jenn Dow.

Anyone interested in volunteering during this pre-opening and test pilot stage of Makers Mill can contact Josh or Carol for more information at info@makersmill.org. We are particularly interested in hearing from those with metalworking and welding experience.