Although this campaign has concluded, it's easy to give to Ohio University and support the CoLab Makerspace Enhancement Fund.
When we first launched this campaign we caught the attention of OHIO alumnus Rob Painter. Rob and his wife Carin generously contributed $2,000 to the campaign! Here is what Rob had to say about CoLab: “I am a staunch believer and huge fan of the collaboration facility that has been graciously carved out of Alden Library. It just beacons students in to experience the space and oozes with creativity in such a manner that from the time you walk into the space you want to build, imagine, invent, launch, and ideate through and with others.” - Rob Painter '93
Each dollar raised in this campaign will be directly invested in the space that you currently see above and the enhancement of activities that occur there. CoLab's mission is to not duplicate services that are already accessible to students across campus, but to provide them with easier access to entry level equipment to create. By having a centrally managed makerspace with connections to all other OHIO makerspace type facilities, we will facilitate cross disciplinary collaborations on student projects.
Do you see anything missing? Equipment? Tools? Students? Completed Projects? Sewing Machines? 3D Printers? Robots? Legos? Pegboard? Messes?...
CoLab supporters Geoff and Denise Morgan have identified this is a priority in the innovation ecosystem here at OHIO and have committed a 1:1 giving match. The Morgans will match dollar to dollar up to $5,000! “What has excited me about CoLab from the beginning is the self-driven student initiative behind the whole concept. This was a student initiative first and foremost, students came up with the concept behind this facility, students presented CoLab to key stakeholders, students raised the initial funding to support the building of CoLab. Their presentation and their maturity were way above expectations.” -Geoff Morgan
“CoLab has given me the opportunity to use my skills in a much more powerful way, It allows you to connect your ideas with other people in areas that you might not have ever imagined. That difference in perspective and skillset can be so huge in getting to where you want to be.” – Jeffery Anzo, BSS '20
“Maker spaces have an opportunity to revolutionize the current system by providing an extracurricular means for students to engage in more hands-on projects and develop a large range of the skills that are currently being underdeveloped. Maker spaces go beyond the traditional machine shop environment familiar to the undergraduate curriculum offering access to rapid prototyping equipment and conceptual design spaces coupled with a unique culture that can be transformative to its users.” – Barrett, T. W., Pizzico, M. C., Levy, B., & Nagel, R. L. (2015). A Review of University Maker Spaces.
CoLab was founded in 2015 by Alex Kneier and Lori Bentz, now OHIO alumni, who completed their training as Stanford University Innovation Fellows. UIF trains students to bring people together through creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship on campuses across the world, and CoLab aims to do that on OHIO’s campus.
CoLab is a student-focused, collaborative, innovative ideation space where creative solutions are explored and entrepreneurial ventures are developed. Physical Hub – central campus location for student ideation, innovation and entrepreneurship Program – support program to include ideation, capital access, team building, development and launch support Physical Spokes – connected activities in individual colleges spreading available space and resources in a distributed way across campus