The TechGarage is our vision of a centralized robotics workspace and we need community support to make it happen. Our primary goal is to capture students at a young age and encourage them to explore science, technology, engineering, and math as future careers.
Every student regardless of interests, skills or social-economic background would benefit from interacting with professional engineers, artists, hobbyists, and entrepreneurs. Doing this in a setting where they are working towards a common goal will inspire students and the world will be a better place for it.
We plan to make TechGarage a public membership-fee based toolshop to attract entrepreneurs, hobbyists, local businesses and artists that need access to advanced tools and equipment. TechGarage, with its STEM based focus on competitive robotics will have space and access to top-of-the-line rapid prototyping equipment for members at a flat monthly rate. The fee based monthly model for a facility filled with rapid prototyping equipment has already been proven to be successful model nationwide by the TechShop (www.techshop.ws)
Putting professionals with a wide range of skills under the same roof as students eager to learn about STEM creates what we truly believe to be a unique fusion of industrial applications and student education that will become a technological innovation hub.
A Truly Sustainable Model
The core benefit of a facility such as TechGarage is the sustainability it brings to educational robotics programs. Not only are resources, tools, and expertise pooled and shared, but funding from mebership fees to the toolshop (MakerSpace) allow for more teams to be created and more youth to be reached. The interworkings of the TechGarage are truly fascinating, and represent the first sustainable model that can be replicated across the nation.
