Third Annual Santa Cruz Mini Maker Faire, May 5th, 2018 from 10am-5pm
by Zachary Roberts, Gateway Head of School
My middle child, who is 11 years old, will sit for hours and recreate the photographs in wildlife magazines using paint, pen, and other art supplies. At other times she'll draw on images only she can see in her mind's eye to create original artwork. Though I take great joy in watching her, I know this is not particularly unique to my offspring; whether it's working with art supplies, or carpentry and power tools, or 3d printers and digital fabrication devices, or a recycled pile of "beautiful junk", most children express an intense interest and delight in the act of making.
I started the Santa Cruz Mini Maker Faire because I am in love with human imagination! Like dogs, cats, and just a few other animals, we get to play our entire lives, and at the root of play is the idea of bringing new ideas to life. Fortunately, making a new reality is not limited to children's inner lives. Santa Cruz has a vibrant scene for makers, from surfboards, skateboards, and mountain bikes, to genetic sequencers and big data mining, to artists and craftsman working across a range of media, including fine art and musical instruments.
This year will be the third year for the Santa Cruz Mini Maker Faire, and we're excited to have it at the Visual, Applied, and Performing Arts (VAPA) Complex at Cabrillo College. In the first two years the event has averaged 1300 people enjoying 45 exhibits, half a dozen food vendors, and 8-10 musical and dance performances. It's a family-friendly event that is free for children age 3 and under, and just $3 for kids age 4-12. On-site parking is free!
The Faire features a huge assortment of hands-on making experiences, including woodworking, jewelry making, photography, print making, 3d printing, beer brewing, soap making, the world's largest pom poms, and much more. We'll have a solar-powered race car built by UCSC students, a replica of an Apple-1 computer built by a local high school student, and so much more -- and the makers will all be there to explain what they made, and how they made it. You can see the entire line-up for the event online at our website.
At Gateway School, we have the first Maker Space and fabrication lab at a K-8 school in Santa Cruz County, because we believe that hands-on making is a way to strengthen problem solving, resiliency, creativity and empathy. We are very grateful to SantaCruzParent.com, Growing Up In Santa Cruz, the Museum of Discovery, and other child-friendly outlets and organizations for helping to sponsor and promote the Mini Maker Faire. We hope to inspire children and families through Santa Cruz with a day of joyful discovery, wonder, and creation!
Zachary Roberts is the Head of School at Gateway School, and the event producer behind the Santa Cruz Mini Maker Faire. He likes to make breakfast, write sonnets, and play bluegrass.
|