Category: News and Announcements

  • Artist in Residence: Overnight Projects

    Artist in Residence: Overnight Projects

    Overnight Projects Presents Liminal States: What Were Some of the Things You Missed from Home?

    Abbey Meaker, Maya Jeffereis, and Elliott Katz

    In Liminal States: What Were Some of the Things You Missed from Home?, artists Maya Jeffereis and Elliott Katz collaborated on a two-channel video installation and itinerant library that examines the longstanding history of separating families and incarcerating minorities in the United States.

    As grandchildren of Japanese American incarceration survivors, the artists have created an experimental documentary that weaves personal, cultural, and historical memories together through a combination of interviews, family photos, and archival images.

    The artists linked the history of Japanese American incarceration with the current practice of separating immigrant families and detaining children in government facilities. One such facility, Fort Sill in Oklahoma, has served as a relocation camp for Indigenous Americans and a residential school for indigenous children in the 19th and 20th centuries, a World War II Japanese American incarceration camp, and a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility today.

    Drawing a comparison between these histories, Jeffereis and Katz
    created a found footage video montage comprised of propaganda films, news coverage, and home videos. The artists invite visitors to further engage with these histories in the Itinerant Library which contains a selection of books recommended by the artists.

    In Liminal States, the artists link the past with the present in an attempt for history not to repeat itself.

  • SPARK empowers Vermont’s lost Einsteins

    SPARK empowers Vermont’s lost Einsteins

    A 2017 article in The Atlantic titled, “America’s Lost Einsteins,” by Alana Semuels, focuses on the economic disparity of who gets to invent — and how that affects us all.

    Semuels found that “…if women, minorities, and children from low- and middle-income families invented at the same rate as white men from high-income families, there would be four times as many inventors in America as there are today.”

     

    The Winooski High School SPARK team does some research.

    More inventors mean more innovation, and more innovation means more people are contributing to the broader social good, including a thriving economy.

    Stunningly, researchers found that “if girls were as exposed to female inventors as boys are to male inventors, the gender gap between male and female inventors would fall by half.”

    Generator’s solution? SPARK.

    Our SPARK program engages women and gender non-conforming students in the STEM fields — that’s science, technology, engineering, and math — through a year-long design-thinking process to develop, prototype, and pitch an invention.

    Spaulding High School (Barre) students show off laser cut live binding journals they made in a workshop where they learned how to use Adobe Illustrator and the Epilog laser cutter.

    SPARK’s focus is to expose students to careers in the STEM fields with long-term mentor relationships, ongoing exposure to advanced tools and technology, and by experiencing failure in a supportive and collaborative environment.

    “School doesn’t teach you that failing is part of learning,” Program Director Rachel Hooper said, “Students get this false idea that success is a polished thing that only smart people achieve when in reality those ‘successful’ people had more opportunities, they had support, and they still probably experienced a lot of failures before they became successful.”

    The team from LUND Center participates in a wearable electronics workshop with Generator member and educator Jill Dawson and learns about basic wiring and electronics.

    Hooper set out to design an ambitious program. She partnered with Connie Liu, founder of Project Invent, using their curriculum to shape a program that uses design-thinking and physical computing to create new technologies that solve problems that affect their communities.

    “Design thinking is a human-centered approach to problem-solving,” Hooper explained, “It’s an iterative design process in which teams design with community members to solve their problems by empathizing with their needs. Students learn to test their ideas prototypically and bring their designs back to the community member for testing and feedback throughout the process.”

    At the SPARK kick-off event, teams participated in fun exercises like the Spaghetti Tower Challenge to warm up their design-thinking, team-working, and problem-solving skills.

    Generator partnered with Winooski High School, Spaulding High School in Barre, and the Lund Center. Each institution had students facing different barriers.

    “There are very large gaps in innovation by income, race, and gender,” Hooper said. “Most young people are not being shown these kinds of STEM pathways and they are not seeing themselves represented in the STEM community. When young women are invited to the world of design and invention and shown that other women are building their careers in the STEM fields they can create a pathway for themselves.”

    Education and Outreach Director Rachel Hooper facilitates a brainstorming session for the Spaulding High School team.

    SPARK started in fall 2018. Rachel met with teams once each week, usually at their schools, to brainstorm project ideas. The teams worked in consensus to conceive of and refine their project ideas.

    The team from Spaulding High School is developing a concussion tracking field kit for nurses and athletic coaches to track student-athletes’ brain health throughout their high school experience. Collecting this data could change the way schools help students recover after a concussion.

    Because it’s a design-thinking process, the team’s first task was to meet with people who had experience with concussions so that they could listen and design with an end-user in mind.

    Some ideas from one of the SPARK teams.

    The Spaulding Team was able to meet with a Generator member who had a traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as a person who runs a TBI support group at UVM.

    Through these meetings, the Spaulding High SPARK team learned that simply recognizing a concussion was a challenge, so the team shifted gears; instead of designing a product for concussion relief, the team set out to develop a concussion identification field kit for school nurses and coaches.

    With their product ideas in mind and on paper, the SPARK teams started meeting at Generator to begin prototyping.

    Madison (left) and Stephie (right) of the Winooski SPARK team work on prototypes in Generator’s conference room.

    “I went into this new environment, Generator, and it stimulated me to work harder,” said Madison, a senior at Winooski High School. “There were lots of tools, and we were in this board meeting room with glass doors… it made me feel more important and like I was actually doing something helpful for people.”

    First, the students worked with art materials and cardboard to sculpt their prototypes. Soon, they’ll learn how to design in Illustrator and other computer programs to create prototypes with the laser cutter, the 3D printer, and in the electronics lab.

    Prototypes from one of the SPARK teams.

    Once the prototype is made, the next step is to have their subjects test their inventions. “We’re making assumptions,” Stephie, a sophomore at Winooski High School explained, “Now we need to get into the reality and see if this is really working, and if it’s not, our goal is to find something else that works better.”

    So is SPARK working?

    “Since I’m a senior and I’m about to graduate I am thinking of careers and stuff,” said Madison, “Ever since SPARK my eyes have been opened to inventing.”

    Madison went on to say that she’s hoping to spend more time at Generator. “I’m excited to figure out how to make more things with sensors.”

    Stephie of the Winooski High School SPARK team shows off her prototype for a heart rate monitor necklace that helps the wearer monitor stress.

    Program Director Rachel Hooper isn’t surprised. “The traditional thinking is that you need to be good at math and science and you have to have four years of undergrad AND an advanced degree to enter a STEM field,” she said. “Makerspaces change that.”

    Stay tuned for more from SPARK.

     

  • Meet the 2019 Jump/Start maker-entrepreneurs

    Meet the 2019 Jump/Start maker-entrepreneurs

    [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]Generator is all about combining art, technology, and entrepreneurship, and no program does that better than our Jump/Start program.

    The small product-based business incubator program, facilitated in partnership with LaunchVT, welcomed eight maker-entrepreneurs into the 2019 cohort.

    These folks are spending nine weeks at Generator building foundations for their businesses, accessing our workshops and resident tool experts to iterate on their existing prototypes, receiving mentoring from local business leaders, and preparing to launch their small businesses!

    We’re thrilled to introduce you to the cohort and their products:[/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line”][divider line_type=”No Line”][divider line_type=”No Line”][vc_row_inner text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

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    1. Todd Taylor and Marble Mundo

    “Marble Mundo reimagines the way we play and learn, one fold at a time, through marble run building kits for kids made from cardboard,” Todd writes. Marble Mundo is a toy for children that folds and assembles into interlocking blocks and ramps. Those pieces then connect to form marble runs in an open-ended system of play.

    Todd is a Generator member and has been prototyping Marble Mundo for the past year by collecting pizza boxes and cutting them on the Epilog laser cutter. Todd received $5,000 worth of in-kind prototyping services when he won Generator’s 2017 Pitch It, Fab It contest hosted by Generator and UVM IMF. Todd is excited to continue his work on prototyping while focusing more on marketing, distribution, and his business model with the Jump/Start cohort and mentors.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

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    2. Adriana Saipe and Ink with Intent

    Adriana is a freelance illustrator who creates customized Jewish wedding contracts (ketubahs) and secular wedding certificates. She’s run her own business (inkwithintent.com) for the past five years and recently joined Generator to start incorporating ornate paper cut elements into the ketubahs

    Or participating in Jump/Start, Adriana writes, “The thing that appeals most to me about the Jump/Start program is the mentorship component. I would absolutely love to have an outsider’s perspective on what’s working and what’s not in my business and where I might go from here. And I’d love to get my hands on the curriculum! Given that I’ve trial-and-errored my way through the first stages of my business, it would be wonderful to take a step back and learn some of the basics that I may have skipped at the beginning.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

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    3. Fat Bird Studios and Querent

    Fat Bird Studios is a design and game studio consisting of Amila, Kayla, and Mish. Their game, Querent, is a tabletop roleplaying game that uses tarot cards to create a narrative-driven and personal experience.

    “We have two products, the first being our guidebook The Cartomancer’s Tome. This is a 250+ page guidebook that will house the rules of our game as well as charts to help players decipher the meanings of tarot cards in relation to certain game-related spreads. Our second product is our custom 78-card tarot deck. Each card will be illustrated by our artist Amila to capture the essence of Querent and the meanings of traditional tarot cards.”

    Fat Bird Studios ran a Kickstarter campaign that was funded 820% of their original goal. Now they’re focused on developing on online store to take pre-orders and to conduct on-going business. They’re excited to participate in Jump/Start and receive coaching around finances and business growth.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

    4. Mat Gilbert and Robot Draws You

    “Robot Draws You provides a fun interactive ‘photo booth’ experience where people can watch a plotter machine draw their pictures. It can also be used to create pen drawings of existing photos that were shot by more professional photographers.”

    Mat’s focus during Jump/Start is developing a business plan that combines his different opportunities to generate revenue, including corporate events, personal sessions, and retail sales of components of the ‘booth’ in the form of kits or 3D printable parts that would be available for purchase via online download.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

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    5. Tessa Hill and Tessa Hill Sculpture

    Tessa has 10 years of glass blowing experience — and it shows. Her small and detailed glass jewelry is stunning and she’s sold it through her Etsy shop for the past seven years.

    Her focus in Jump/Start will be expanding production and distribution of one of her most popular items: a handblown glass honey bee pendant, the sales of which support honey bee conservation. She’s focused on using Jump/Start to plan for growth, including outsourcing some of her production and increasing the number of galleries and retail outlets carrying her bee necklaces.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

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    6. Kristian Brevik and Starwatcher

    Kristian creates illuminated lanterns of whales and other creatures which aim to enhance connection between humans and other species and the environmental issues we face.

    Kristian has been making art for years and his beautiful lamps have recently struck a chord with locals. “The whale lanterns were very successful beyond what I was expecting at Art Hop, both in the response from the community, from press, and with sales, but in the months since then, I’ve been bogged down with organizational issues – accounting and taxes, having a clear business plan, developing a cohesive online presence and market,” Kristan wrote.

    Kristian is excited to keep up the positive momentum of his art business while getting a solid foundation in place through Jump/Start, which includes deciding on a legal business structure, setting up accounting systems, and figuring out which sales channels to prioritize.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

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    7. Ezra Ranz-Schleifer and Bloom

    “Bloom is a beautifully futuristic take on artificial flowers featuring a modern design aesthetic and delightful interactivity possibilities,” Ezra writes. “I want to participate in JUMP/START because Bloom is a unique product that could infuse new ideas into the floral landscape- both aesthetically and from the business side where the model is based on reuse. I feel the focus of JUMP/START is perfect for the current stage of Bloom. Access to Generator would give me the necessary to tools to continue to refine the product and working with the guidance of mentors to hone a suitable business model and marketing strategy.”

    Ezra is looking forward to more prototyping, as well as figuring out how and when to integrate more elements into his artificial flowers, including scent and lighting.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner text_align=”left”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

    8. Jaen Carrodine and MAG Bindings

    “MAG Bindings simplify the process of strapping into a snowboard. My proprietary design replaces the ratchets of a standard binding. This means that the “feel” of traditional straps is maintained but strapping in becomes faster and easier, ” Jaen writes.

    Last year, Jaen participated in the Catamount Innovation Fund Accelerator where he received valuable training in marketing, brand identity, pitching, and other business skills. He excited to continue this work and use Jump/Start to prepare for all aspects of taking his binding to market.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Maker in Residence: Hilton Dier III

    Maker in Residence: Hilton Dier III

    Our November/December Maker In Residence is Hilton Dier III, a renewable energy expert and designer (and man of many talents and areas of work), who had this to say about his project:

    “The birth of this idea came during the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011. I was contacted by a friend of a friend who was involved in radiation monitoring in that part of Japan. Their battery powered radiation monitors required Blackhawk helicopter flights (at $$$/hour) to replace batteries and he wanted a ruggedized portable solar power pack that could be deployed by non-expert soldiers. The Japanese government restored power before I had finished the design but the idea stayed with me. I have designed and prototyped a similar system for powering a network of medical clinic communication nodes in Malawi. I’d like to fabricate a working prototype of a single-person portable, rugged solar power pack. My rough estimate is that the major electrical parts (PV module, charge controller, inverter, battery) would cost around $450. There would be incidental costs for connectors, wire, adhesives, and similar supplies. The finished device would produce 12 volt DC and 120 volt AC power.”

    We’re looking forward to sharing more about what Hilton accomplished at Generator during his residency. If you’d like to hear more about Hilton, his work, and our Maker In Residence opportunities, sign up for our newsletter.

  • Generator Stories: Meet David

    Generator Stories: Meet David

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    Meet David.

     

    David is a super creative teen who usually dabbles in film. “Making a movie has always been my go-to for school projects,” he said. “Until now.”

    David found his way to Generator thanks to our Design Lab program.

    Design Lab, conducted in partnership with schools and other non-profits, provides hands-on STEM workshops to students in grades seven through twelve.

    The design-thinking process begins in the classroom and culminates at Generator where students use the same software, tools, and processes used by professional engineers, artists, and designers to bring their ideas to life.

    “When I walked into Generator I was like, whoa,” David exclaimed. He has long been curious about product design and engineering and he considered this his chance to learn more.

    “For this project, I decided I wanted to try making something because all the stuff is here to do it,” he said. This decision was a major departure from his normal film go-to strategy.

    David’s Design Lab workshop designed and made simple phone stands. The workshop taught the students about product design and empowered them to use Adobe Illustrator and the Epilog laser cutter.

    After receiving that training, David decided to take the phone stand idea to the next level: a solar-powered phone stand. “You could place it near a window, or on the dashboard of a car, ” he explained.

    David’s project gave him the opportunity to deepen his experience with the tools he learned,  especially the powerful design software and the ever-popular laser cutter. He also spent time in Generator’s electronics lab with designer and staff member Pete Moore who taught him how to wire and solder a USB port and solar hook-up.

    David’s project also led to a conversation with Hilton Dier III, an engineer and solar expert who is Generator’s current Maker-in-Residence. Hilton is spending his two-month residency at Generator fabricating a rugged, single-person, portable solar power pack to be deployed in remote areas and during weather events and emergencies.

    Hilton and David chatted about their project similarities and David’s design challenges. At Generator, we value collaboration and a culture of support, so there are always folks around to lend a hand or give advice. Hilton gave David some pointers on how to design his solar-powered product.

    By the end of the day, much to his delight, David had conceived of a product, designed it, and made it himself. Along the way, he received one-on-one mentoring and encouragement from the Generator community, including from an expert solar product engineer.

    Empowered, David is already contemplating his next project.  “I have so many ideas now,” he said. “It’s so cool here, and everything seems possible.”

    We are grateful to our 2018 Design Lab partners who have included Dealer.com, the Winooski School District, Hunt Middle School, Spaulding High School, King Street Center, Lund Center, Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program, the Governor’s Institute of Vermont, Essex Junction Middle School, UVM’s Mansfield Hall, Spectrum Youth and Family Services, Peoples United Community Foundation and many more.

    You can learn more about Design Lab here.

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    Generator wants to expand Design Lab and empower more young people to design, create, and innovate.

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    Will you make an end-of-year gift to help young people like David expand their horizons?

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  • Generator Stories: Meet Clay

    Generator Stories: Meet Clay

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    Meet Clay.

     

    Clay Mohrman started playing with lighting and driftwood while he worked for an industrial light supplier in the greater Boston area. He was a hobbyist in those years, refining his craft and making one-off light sculptures for friends and family.

     

    When Clay moved to Vermont, he rented a small studio on Pine Street. He meticulously sawed, sanded, and assembled his pieces with hand tools.

     

    Despite growing interest in his light sculptures, Clay’s time-consuming, labor-intensive process prevented him from pricing his work to sell.

     

    Clay knew he had a unique idea and that there was a market for his original, elegant work, but needed help turning his art practice into a sustainable art business.

     

     

    Enter: Generator’s Jump/Start program.

     

    Jump/Start is a business accelerator program developed by Generator in collaboration with LaunchVT. The 11-week program consists of weekly lectures on topics ranging from accounting, to intellectual property protection, to marketing. The program also facilitates in-depth tutoring with business professionals and mentors.

     

     

    Clay and three other talented makers were given the use of free studio space, 24/7 access to Generator, a stipend, and free tool training classes to help them refine their product prototype.

     

    “I couldn’t afford the kinds of woodworking tools I needed to be efficient, let alone a full wood shop, so having access to these things at Generator was amazing,” Clay said.  “The pneumatic nail gun alone was a game-changer.”

     

    Through the Jump/Start program, Clay received support in developing a foundation for his business, including bookkeeping, branding, pricing, scheduling, and more.

     

    He received personal mentoring from Burlington’s lighting legend, Steve Conant.

     

    Clay also met with manufacturing experts M&E Design to improve his production process.


    Clay cited Generator’s network of makers, entrepreneurs, and business professionals as a huge asset to his business.

     

    “Starting a small business takes so much support, both emotionally and physically,” Clay said. “Having people around you going through the same process is invaluable.”

     

    At the conclusion of the Jump/Start program, Clay became a Generator studio member.

     

     

     

     

    “Generator keeps feeding me and my business,” Clay said. “I couldn’t be doing what I’m doing without the ongoing support and expertise of so many people here.”

     

     

     

     

    Clay cites his participation in Jump/Start as the source of his confidence to launch his business, Clay Mohr Lighting.

     

    The business has had numerous successes post-Jump/Start, including:

    • month-long shows at Karma Birdhouse and Frog Hollow Gallery where his sales far exceeded expectations
    • a 2018 Seven Daysies nomination for Best Sculptor followed up by a feature article in their “Nest” issue
    • a collaboration with local musician Ivamae, Casting Coalescence, a traveling art installation that combines his lights with her music
    • wholesale orders from shops as far away as Colorado
    • and most recently, a winning bid for a light installation at Stowe’s Spruce Lodge for their Festival of Lights. Clay built and installed his largest piece yet — four feet in diameter. The piece was built in Generator’s common space.

     

     

    “My business is continuing to evolve.
    Jump/Start gave me a foundation to build on.”

     

     

     

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    With your support, we can help more people like Clay access opportunities to learn, create, and launch themselves and their businesses at Generator.

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    Will you make a year-end gift to support innovation?

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  • Generator Stories: Meet Ali

    Generator Stories: Meet Ali

    [vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][vc_column_text]Through the end of the year we’ll be sharing stories about the people who make Generator tick.

    Our goal is to raise $5,000 to support and expand Generator’s offerings in 2019. We hope you can help and please spread the word!

    Meet Ali.

    When we talk about Generator we usually lead with stats and program descriptions rather than the people we serve. It’s our community’s generosity that allows Generator to meet people where they are, as was the case with Ali. That’s where success happens.

    Ali is a senior at Burlington High School. He heard about Generator about a year ago from both his art teacher as well as a mentor.

    “As an engineer, I always have ideas,” Ali said. He knew he wanted to learn how to design and make things and he thought Generator might be able to help.

    One day after school Ali walked a mile from his home to Generator. He connected with Jon, our Community Outreach Coordinator, who gave him a tour and asked about his interests.

    Ali was interested in learning just about everything. The challenge was finding a pathway into Generator that could help him grow his skills.

    Fortuitously, just days later, Mayor Weinberger’s office reached out with a request. Could Generator revamp the portable podium that travels with the mayor to various speaking engagements?

    The podium project was an opportunity to go through a design-thinking process with a high profile client. Their request for multiple options required multiple prototypes evolved from various design programs, tools, and machines.

    Elliot, our Operations Director, was tasked with the podium project. He saw the project as a way to work with Ali and provide one-on-one mentoring and training to increase Ali’s confidence and skills in preparation for independent projects of his own.

    When you support Generator, you make it possible for us to provide the kind of personalized attention to people that leads to transformation, as it did with Ali.

    Ali has been coming to Generator after school for four weeks now. We suspect he’ll be a regular at Generator until he goes to college next fall. He’s received personal training on the Epilog laser cutter, the CNC router, in the wood shop, and in various 3D design programs.

    “This is a huge opportunity for me,” Ali said. “Seeing people’s process and projects… I get to see others’ points of view. I learn how to use different tools and systems.”

    At this point, Ali has worked with several folks at Generator. “There’s always someone to help,” he said. “My next project will be on the 3D printer, just because I want to learn it.”

    Ali recently finished making his first two prototypes of the portable podium and had his first check-in with the Mayor’s office. He’s now working on a third prototype based on their feedback. Ali plans to complete the podium project before the end of the year. We’ll be sure to update you when the final podium is complete.

    “The more I learn, the better off I’ll be. I want to go into electrical or computer engineering. I’d like to get ahead for college. I think of the future and what I can do to better myself.”

     

    There are countless eager makers who could benefit from the resources at Generator, and our aim is to grow to accommodate them.

     

     Will you make a year-end gift to empower more Vermonters like Ali to create and innovate at Generator?

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  • Innovation Playground Exhibit

    Innovation Playground Exhibit

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    Saturday, September 16, 2017 – Monday, January 15, 2018

     ECHO Leahy Center

    From 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

     
    Join Generator members at ECHO’s Innovation Playground Exhibit. This exhibit puts a spotlight on the innovation and creative explorations that happens in a makerspace. Adriana Lentrichia, Devin Wilder, Alex Swaisgood, Jean Cherouny, Rob Rock are just some of Generator’s superstars that are featured makers in this exhibit!
    I’m tickled to announce that after many late nights and forays to Curtis Lumber the Innovation Playgound exhibit opened this past Saturday. After watching families interact with the space for many hours on opening day, I can confidently state this is an incrediblly engaging exhibit.  This is ECHO’s first in-house exhibit, and it quite literally would not have been possible without the talent and hard work of our local partners– The EMC at Champlain College, Generator and its maker members, the creators of Will & Whit, and our recycled lamp contest participants.
    -Nina Ridhibhinyo

    Innovation Playground celebrates lifelong play and its role in sparking technological, social, and artistic innovation in our community. Visitors of all ages will unleash their imaginations, building life-size worlds out of giant blue blocks, exploring virtual galaxies in a cardboard spaceship, and bringing inventions to life in our fully-equipped maker space.

    In partnership with Champlain College Emergent Media Center and Generator. Generously sponsored by Hickok and Boardman Insurance Group.

    ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain is a 501(c) non-profit organization. ECHO’s mission is to educate and delight people about the Ecology, Culture, History, and Opportunities for Stewardship of the Lake Champlain Basin.

    Learn more about this event>>

    Learn more about becoming a maker at Generator>>[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][image_with_animation image_url=”4705″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][image_with_animation image_url=”4706″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][image_with_animation image_url=”4707″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/4″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default”][image_with_animation image_url=”4708″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Ignite a Maker run by Lucie deLaBruere has new teachers!

    Ignite a Maker run by Lucie deLaBruere has new teachers!

    Lucie is a Generator member that uses her studio space to incubate a teacher learning program called Ignite a Maker. We want to introduce you to Kevin Laverty and Eric Hall  who will be the final set of  IGNITE a MAKERs for this school year.  Kevin teaches at Christ the King  and Eric at Mt. Mansfield. Check out what they have been learning and experimenting with through their posting journey on the IGNITE a MAKER Learning journal/blog. Chris Whitaker with be occupying the Generator space too as he helps mentor and look for possible collaboration during the next two months.

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  • VPBS InnoVaTe

    VPBS InnoVaTe

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    “Innovate” has been launched and you can find episodes with Generator’s contributions.
    We are all very excited! Victoria, VTPBS and Velocity have been pumping on Social Media, which you can follow here: https://twitter.com/happysquid/status/689438872359440385 or https://www.facebook.com/victoriagtaylor/posts/10101133175254704.
     Thank you all for your amazing contributions and for being a part of highlighting Innovation and Technology in Vermont! Looking forward to what the future holds for all in 2016!

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