Hello and welcome! This is a guide for anyone interested in being a Maker in Residence at the Idea Lab.
Goals
Our general goals with classes are to help people build creative and technical skills, connect with other makers, and make cool stuff! Our Maker in Residence program builds on that - here are our goals:
Additionally, we are an adult maker space so most of our classes are geared towards adults. We also do some family friendly programming that works for people of all ages and residencies ideally include one such family friendly program. We do NOT do programs specifically for teens and children. The teen space and children's library within Erie County Public Library do teen and children specific programming.
Topics
Residencies in the Idea Lab can cover any aspect of making, whether physical or digital. It is our priority for classes to relate equipment we have in the room and is something people could continue to work on in the Idea Lab. These topics include:
You can also check out our equipment list and software list to see what's available in the space. If your class would use our equipment or software, it's probably a good fit.
Structure
A residency consists of the following:
Compensation
Payment to the Maker in Residence would be in the total amount of $2,500. Payment is made in two installments. 50% will be paid after the initial planning meeting and private program have taken place and 50% will be paid after all public programs and consultations are completed.
Supplies and Equipment
Ideal residencies are those which utilize equipment/software available in the Idea Lab. Residencies can also rely on equipment not in the Idea Lab and, if accepted, there would be two options:
If you read the overview and would like to be a Maker in Residence, you can click the link below to fill out the interest form. We review submissions often and will reach out to discuss your lesson plan, schedule your class, and do the necessary paperwork.
This application is for the Nov-Dec. 2023 Maker in Residence.
Deadline: October 20th, 2023
We have some expectations that apply for all classes:
Every educator should try to meet the above expectations. Additionally, we hope that classes can be fun, interesting, and enjoyable. Making that happen is something we can work on together.
Idea Lab staff will attend your class to learn, make with you, and see how it goes. We're also available to support you should something go wrong. For Makers in Residence, the private program with Idea Lab staff is a good chance to practice your classes and get feedback before teaching the public.
No matter how class goes, we talk with all educators afterwards for 10-20 minutes about how class went. This gives us a chance to discuss what happened while our memory is still fresh. We use the evaluation sheet below to guide the conversation.
The expectations are things that should happen every class no matter what and match our expectations from the previous tab.
The reflection questions are meant to guide an honest discussion on how things went and how they might be improved. We are not interested in critiquing you personally - we want to work with you to make your class successful and have teaching be a positive experience.