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Public Relations and Marketing | Published Apr 12, 2021
College of Lake County invites you to open your mind to new ways of making at an innovative event on Saturday, April 17. Presented virtually, this year’s Maker Faire Lake County presentations include everything from virtual tours and detailed demonstrations to amazing do-it-yourself tutorials. Maker Faire is a free event for the entire community to participate in and share.
“Taking advantage of the virtual format, we are able to peek into area businesses and makerspaces,” said engineering instructor Jan Edwards. “Tours are being provided by Cook Memorial Library and Deerfield Public Library, while other libraries are planning to share short videos of their makerspaces.”
Photo: CLC alum and Maker Daniel Power works with a 3D printer.
Makers are people who see the possible and then make it happen. It’s good for self-esteem, it’s good for education, and it’s good for economic development. The goal of the Maker Faire is to bring as many Lake County makers together to celebrate the multifaceted fields of making and celebrate the unique makers in our region. Become a part of the Maker movement by registering to attend this year’s event. Tune in from 10 a.m. through 3 p.m.
Interested in taking your Maker passion a bit deeper? On the commercial side, we have mHUB and MxD which both focus on guiding ideas from prototype to production, with an emphasis on exploring digital manufacturing techniques.
Other individual makers will share their works through Make:Projects, enabling them to post their details, including images and videos, and then chat with other makers online. This includes the accomplishments of all the students participating in the robotics and design competitions at CLC. Think of a great project to share? We’re accepting submissions through April 16. There’s no live component and it’s a great way to share your inventions.
One local Maker is CLC tutor, Joe Kuzmanoff. He made a Smartphone mount for a telescope project and he also created a musical instrument in the Baxter Innovation Lab.
“The majority of the projects I make tend to stem from either a want or need and a lack of affordable commercial availability,” said Kuzmanoff. “In the case of the phone telescope mount, I made one simply because it was faster than ordering one and I'd have it available to view an eclipse that evening. I have also found that the ability to make something allows for user-specific needs to be met that cannot be accommodated in a mass-produced product.”
“Many of the presentations focus on fostering making skills in the attendees,” said Edwards. “Gearbox labs, Baxter Innovation Lab and several area educators will be sharing projects for students to participate in during the Maker Faire.”
If you can’t wait until April 17, register to participate in the Make-a-Thon competition April 1 through 15, where participants combine technical skills and creativity. This year’s theme is “Hands Free.” Use sensors, motors, programming and some low fidelity prototyping materials to complete a challenge. Free kits are available to the first 75 area high schoolers or CLC students who register. This is a great opportunity to learn a new skill or take what you know to the next level. Register online and pick up your kit.
About College of Lake County:
College of Lake County is a comprehensive community college committed to equitable high-quality education, cultural enrichment and partnerships to advance the diverse communities it serves in northeastern Illinois. Offered at three campuses in Grayslake, Vernon Hills and Waukegan or online, college classes are affordable and accessible to help each student achieve academic, career and personal goals. More than 70,000 students graduated with degrees and certificates since the college opened in 1969. The College of Lake County is the only higher-education institution ranked among the top 15 best places to work in Illinois by Forbes and is a national leader in many areas, including sustainability and conservation.