In case you blinked and missed it, June 18th was proclaimed National Day of Making and the White House held its first ever Maker Faire. Among the many activities and announcements, the Fab Foundation said it is going to open 10 new Fab Labs around the US by 2015, with support from Chevron Corporation.
The project will be funded by Chevron as part of the energy industry leader’s recently announced 30 million commitment to support STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics) education and project based learning methods. When complete the laboratories will provide close to 20,000 students and adults hands-on science and technology experiences.
Generally Fab Labs are laboratories that offer their members access to consumer-prosumer digital manufacturing tools, such as CNC mills, laser cutters and, of course, 3D printers, both RepRap and assembled. As well as Arduino and Raberry Pi control boards. Courses teach how to use and even build these machines to make anything one can imagine (most people I’ve talked to tend to imagine drones and robots).
The trend has been growing worldwide and there are now more than 350 Fab Labs operating today with another 350 in development in over 40 different countries. Some Fab Labs are set up as for-profit companies and others are non-profit foundations and associations but the spirit is similar: promoting open source culture and shared creativity to help build new generations of makers — young and old — that are familiar with the modern means for digital production.
“Along with launching new fab labs, Chevron’s grant will help build the Fab Foundation’s capacity to provide access to digital fabrication across the country and around the world,” commented Neil Gershenfeld, Chairman of the Fab Foundation’s Board. “At the White House Maker Faire [we celebrated] how makers are using these tools to innovate for the future.”
The Fab Lab Foundation was formed by MIT professor Neil Gershenfeld in 2009 as US non-profit organization to facilitate and support the growth of the international Fab Lab network. Its primary beneficiaries are community organizations, educational institutions and non-profit concerns.
“Few things are more important to our nation’s future than student interest and proficiency in STEM. Through our partnership with The Fab Foundation, we are proud to increase the numbers of students across the country that have access to develop project-based, critical thinking skills,” said Blair Blackwell, manager of education and corporate programs at Chevron. “This partnership underscores our commitment to ensuring that students have the foundation they need to succeed.”
