What are your thoughts on a community makerspace or fabrication laboratory (fab lab)?

Digital New Mexico had a meeting at New Mexico State University Alamogordo to discuss ways we could help build a local makerspace or fab lab similar to the FUSE Makerspace up in Albuquerque. Of course, we're talking something much smaller with a significantly lower budget, but it'd still be a place for our community to come together to experience all those buzzwords people love talking about like innovation, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, etc, etc, etc. (I'm a simple person, so I just say "it's a place to make stuff and learn stuff," but there's a reason I'm in STEM and not marketing)

Now, nothing is finalized, but we discussed what we'd need to do to get the space ready for launch in time to provide a maker-themed summer camp for local students (from Alamogordo Public Schools, Tularosa Municipal Schools, Cloudcroft Municipal Schools, Sacramento School of Engineering and Science, or homeschoolers). We're working on grants and looking to secure additional funding. While we're doing that, we want community input!

We've got two major questions:

1) What do YOU want from a local makerspace? What equipment, programs, or resources would make you show up and use the space?

2) Who else should we be talking to? Who'd be interested in partnering, sponsoring, or collaborating on programs or resources as we bring this space to our community?

Send us a message (hello@digitalnm.org) or share this with someone you think might be interested. Again, at this stage, nothing is official or finalized beyond people at both NMSUA and DNM saying "we want this for our community so let's start working on it!" Now is a great time for anyone willing to volunteer their time, skills, or experience to share their thoughts!