The 2018 Nation of Makers Conference (NOMCON), held on June 9-10, is the inaugural annual national conference to bring together leaders from maker organizations representing the diverse sectors, people, regions, and foci that represent the U.S. maker movement. Hosted by the national nonprofit Nation of Makers, the conference aims to spark and increase connections across sectors, generate robust collaborations and partnerships, set a research agenda for the U.S. maker movement, and promote the growth of an inclusive maker community. A central goal of the event is the promotion of relationship-building across lines of regular conversation, generating an increased sense of connected community throughout the entire ecosystem of maker-supporting entities.
Rosie the Riveter was the star of a campaign aimed at recruiting female workers for defense industries during World War II, and she became perhaps the most iconic image of working women. American women entered the workforce in unprecedented numbers during the war, as widespread male enlistment left gaping holes in the industrial labor force. Between 1940 and 1945, the female percentage of the U.S. workforce increased from 27 percent to nearly 37 percent, and by 1945 nearly one out of every four married women worked outside the home.
This was the most organized and decked out makerspace I have ever been to. They have top of the line equipment for woodworking, metal fabrication, welding, rapid prototyping, 3d printing, screen printing, and jewelry making. They had individual classrooms for instruction, co-working, and offices for small businesses.
What ideas did they have?
- "Makerrettes" i.e. cool names for girl makers
- Social justice arts and crafts
- Train and hire female instructors
- "Babying" there was much debate whether or not to treat fems any different
- Targeted classes with a purpose: Wine and Welding (make a metal wine rack) Hot Pockets (eat and sew pockets)
- Want women in your space? Include women in your mission.
- Have patrons/members sign a code of conduct
- Coat racks for purses
- Make tampons and pads available in bathrooms
Check out more photos from the event at https://photos.app.goo.gl/VUNGGJLn3LS7mgTx7
"I don't want 5th graders spending their time learning Java. I want them to be learning how to identify and solve problems and think dynamically." Kipp commenting on the current coding and programming craze.
https://www.kippkitts.com/
Read about the kids and their stories at https://www.magicwheelchair.org/. They have a gallery of some of the AMAZING costumes created. Really inspiring stuff!!
The number one idea we came up is to 3d scan all makerspaces in the KC metro and add "portals" for people to be able to jump from makerspace to makerspace, making our metro the first in the country where people can explore the maker movement in virtual reality. We are beginning to work with the authors of Maker City and the Kansas City Star to potentially make this a reality!