Who we are
MIT MakerWorkshop was founded by a group of disgruntled MechE graduate students who couldn’t find a place to make things at MIT. In 2014, they started designing a better solution: a shop that could do it all, with a low barrier-to-entry.
MakerWorkshop was always meant to be more than a physical space. Our founding group saw shop space as a part of the MIT education, emphasized the importance of community, and recognized the value in peer learning. In collaboration with MIT MechE, the Martin Trust Center, and EHS, we officially opened on May 15, 2015.
Eight years later, we’re still run by stellar mentors who volunteer their time to run the space. Our mentors give training, maintain equipment, and oversee all shop operations. They also host social events, publish/attend conferences on academic makerspaces, and work on their own maker projects.
We call Building 35 home, and we have 1500 sqft of modeling, prototyping, fabrication, and validation resources in 35-122. We’re a place where everyone is welcome and invited to participate – people work on all types of projects, come to us with all levels (or not) of experience, and come from all levels of the Institute (students, postdocs, staff, faculty).
We hope to see you in the shop sometime soon!
Core values
Helping people make and learn well
Fostering community
Ensuring safety
Every voice matters