LCCC Tamaqua Opens Makerspace Creative Learning Classroom

Lehigh Carbon Community College will dedicate its new STEAM Makerspace at LCCC Tamaqua in a ribbon cutting ceremony set for 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 13. Funded through the college’s SHINE after-school program, the makerspace is housed in an innovative, newly customized classroom in the Morgan Center.

The STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) makerspace is designed to promote collaboration and provide a space for hands-on, experiential learning that highlights the real-world application of academic lessons. During the April 13 event, local elementary students and trained facilitators will demonstrate how the new equipment works and how the makerspace provides the raw materials for interdisciplinary projects.

The Tamaqua makerspace will serve a number of roles within the community: a collaborative hub for LCCC’s Teacher Education Program, an area for professional development for local K-12 faculty and a home for STEM summer camps for local K-12 students.

LCCC designed the makerspace to capitalize on the strengths of hands-on learning, allowing participants to experiment with actual solutions to real-world problems. Makerspaces provide users with the opportunity to utilize new tools and apply new approaches to learning.

The Tamaqua facility is stocked with a variety of both high- and low-tech items including a 3D printer, robotic items, a green screen for animation and a LEGO® wall. It will be available for use by area school districts, teachers and for professional development later in the fall.

For information on the Tamaqua Makerspace or how to utilize it for teacher training, contact Amber Zuber at 570-668-6880.