The Forge Celebrates 10 Years of Making
(Greensboro, NC) -- Forge Greensboro is officially ten years old as of April 2023 and is excited to invite the community to celebrate this milestone anniversary on June 17, 2023 from 1-5p. The event is all ages and free.
Over the past decade, the Forge has touched the lives of thousands in the Triad community and beyond. From starting as a meetup group and growing in numbers in a local coffee shop to National Science Foundation funded STE(A)M education programming and City-funded scholarships, the Forge aims to showcase its history and current impact in the best way they know how: to invite folks in to make something.
“We have come a long way in 10 years,” says Deputy Director Jennie Savage, “Though times were uncertain during the early days of the pandemic, the Forge has bounced back in a big way with the support of the community. The Makerspace is always adapting to what the community wants and it has been amazing to see the community give back to make all these programs possible.”
The UNCG School of Education is co-sponsoring the 10th Anniversary Party along with youth programming partner, shift_ed. Dr. Sara Porter of UNCG has hosted a Science Teacher Leader Network (STLN) at the Forge for the past year as part of her research. The event marks the culmination of the STLN project as Dr. Porter’s participating teachers will showcase what having access to the makerspace has allowed them to do in their classrooms and how it not only affected their perspectives on hands-on learning, but how it affected their students over this school year. The UNCG School of Education will be sponsoring a Maker Faire celebrating the project, including free, all-ages making activities and special information for local teachers and school administrators.
In 2022, the Forge was awarded $75,000 from the City of Greensboro to develop its Makership Program, a scholarship program awarding fully- or partially-funded makerspace access geared towards folks experiencing financial hardship. The Forge was recently awarded $300,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding through Guilford County to improve the equipment and facilities its members have access to over the next 3 years. Members and Makership recipients will benefit from the exciting new equipment and technology, as well as local business owners, the local economy in general, and youth program participants. The Forge will be offering sign-up specials for membership and classes during the event.
The Forge the 10th Anniversary Party will also feature a Maker Market showcasing the work of its maker-entrepreneurs, a food truck, guided makerspace tours, and hands-on activities. There will also be a special dedication to the Forge’s first Executive Director, Joe Rotondi, and a ribbon cutting for the Joe Rotondi Lobby.
Forge Greensboro’s new Executive Director, Dr. Lonnie Cockerham, joined the staff this spring. Says Cockerham, “The Forge is a great place to see, experience, and actually participate as society continues to emerge from months and months of isolation and uncertainty. There is no better place to nurture creativity and witness hands-on innovation in-progress by people of all backgrounds and ages. I am very excited to serve in this leadership role, and look forward to making a contribution to an organization that has such a rich history rooted in grit and determination, and whose mission is driven by providing equitable access skills-building.”
Although the 10th Anniversary Party event is all-ages, due to the nature of the space, all children must be accompanied by an adult. Bring your family and friends to the Forge Greensboro (219 W Lewis Street) on Saturday, June 17th from 1:00-5:00 p.m. The Forge’s parking lot will be closed for this event; however, free parking will be available on the southwest corner of Gate City Boulevard and South Elm Street.
About the organization: Forge Greensboro, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, is the largest community makerspace in the Southeast. The Forge provides members with equipment for woodworking, welding, sewing, 3D printing, laser engraving, 3D design, electronics and ceramics. The core program provides affordable access to tools, technology and a community of entrepreneurs, artists, artisans, inventors, students, skilled trades folk, engineers, hobbyists and tinkerers. Forge Greensboro is an inclusive environment where people can come and share their skills, experience, ideas, networks and curiosity. For more information visit, www.forgegreensboro.org.
0 Comments