Can makerspaces enable critical change?

Will Holman, a member of Mayor Brandon Scott’s transition committee, has dedicated nearly three years to shaping policy priorities for the mayor’s inaugural term.

His involvement in this role prepared the executive director of Open Works for the subsequent advocacy efforts that led to the successful passage of SB453, known as the Maryland Makerspace Initiative Program. To administer the funding, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) is overseeing the initiative.

This landmark legislation resulted in the General Assembly appropriating $5 million over five years to support the expansion and establishment of public-access makerspaces throughout the state. Notably, this bill is the first of its kind in the United States. According to an announcement, the advocacy efforts involved collaboration with organizations such as the Nation of Makers, Open Source Medical Supplies and Coppin State University.

In line with these achievements, Holman and Open Works have also produced a comprehensive 58-page Maker Policy Playbook. This playbook documents Open Works’ advocacy process with SB543, aiming to guide policymakers, community leaders or makerspace organizers seeking to replicate similar pursuits and strengthen the ecosystem.

A screenshot of the Maker Policy Playbook cover. (Courtesy image)

“Other maker organizations and makerspaces in other states [were] looking to generate public funding and recognition for their work,” Holman told Technical.ly. “I had been part of the Nation of Makers policy working group (on hiatus right now) for the last two-and-a-half years, and a few other state representatives, notably in Oregon and Florida, had already attempted to get legislation going.”

Holman will be hosting a free and public webinar on June 20, during which he will delve into the Maker Policy Playbook and its underlying process. The webinar, organized by the MakerUSA Learning Network, offers an opportunity to gain valuable insights into this work. In anticipation of this event, Holman discussed his key takeaways from the recently released playbook with Technical.ly. He particularly “The three E’s” — education, economic development and emergency resilience — as critical policy areas for makerspaces. These discussions are detailed starting from page 3 of the playbook:

• Education: Makerspaces can play a crucial role in addressing gaps in education across various levels, including K-12, vocational training, higher education, and workforce development. Open Works has enrolled 6,223 adults and 688 youth in technical education programs, providing affordable and easily accessible opportunities without entrance requirements.
• Economic Development: Open Works has a significant economic impact, generating $9.9 million in Maryland annually, as reported by Coppin State University’s “Turning Makerspaces into Greater Places” report from 2019. It is currently conducting a follow-up report to assess post-COVID growth and recovery. Additionally, Open Works has supported 338 small business starts, with 48% of them being BIPOC-owned, exceeding the regional rate of minority startup creation.
• Emergency Resilience: Makerspaces like Open Works have demonstrated their capability to contribute to emergency resilience efforts. In 2020, Open Works produced 28,270 face shields; in 2021, it created 863 flat-pack plywood desks for Baltimore City children facing challenges with remote learning. It adopted a co-production model that used open-source design files and engaged distributed makers to quickly expand their resources during times of need. Open Works also served as a resiliency hub by distributing free COVID tests, offering free outdoor internet and more. This surge in manufacturing capacity provided by makerspaces is a critical tool for future disaster response, emphasizing the need for more makerspaces.

Register for the webinar on June 20th

Download the Maker Policy Playbook