[hackerspaces] Is making alliances with education institutions good for a hacekrspace?

[Shirley Hicks]

We're just starting the Red Mountain Makers space in Birmingham, AL (pop 299,999 in the city proper). As we have several students and recent graduates within our organizing group, we're gleefully seizing every opportunity to promote the group on campus, and to cross-promote campus tech events and lectures open to the general public, as well as those of the local tech incubator and the various tech interest groups. 

Collaborations tend to swirl in this city. The tech and creative communities are small enough that most of the key people in the tech community are, are at most, two degrees of separation from each other. At the same time, we've (the city's tech community) had difficulty maintaining critical mass for larger efforts. Getting the maker space up and going is part of growing that community.

Shirley Hicks
board member at large
Red Mountain Makers
www.redmountainmakers.org
wiki.redmountainmakers.org


On Oct 16, 2013, at 3:07 PM, Ben Brown wrote:

> I hear that. We never inquired about promotion on-campus, because they tend to insulate their students within the six square blocks around the University, which we aren't in.
> 
> For us, it usually boils down to one word: Insurance.
> 
> (as in we have it, but they require twelve months notice and nine committees to sign off on it just to give us the time of day)
> 
> Ben
> 
> On 10/16/2013 3:56 PM, Randall G. Arnold wrote:
>> I can't say all of our experiences have been great.  University bureaucracy has gotten in the way of our efforts, too.  Very frustrating.  Typical scenario:
>>  
>> Me: I would like to connect your students with creative opportunities. We have equipment, resources, etc... just need an introduction to your students.
>> College outreach officer: sounds like a lot of work for us.
>>  
>> *sigh*
>>  
>>> On October 16, 2013 at 2:44 PM Ben Brown <ben at generik.ca> wrote: 
>>> 
>>> Kwartzlab has tried to work with other local organizations, with varying results. We've tried to partner up with one of our local university for events, but their ridiculously bureaucratic nature has prevented us every time. At this point, I have no plans to try anything else with them. 
>>> 
>>> That said, we have partnered up with local grassroots arts and technology organizations for various events/causes to great success. We've also leveraged this community participation/recognition for an arts grant that bought us our laser cutter in 2010, and a provincial equipment grant from the Ontario Trillium Fund (provides no-strings-attached money to non-profits). 
>>> 
>>> We don't affiliate with organizations that have strings attached. We don't allow outside organizations to steer our space and it's future. We would not accept large donations or equipment from outside organizations in return for administrative control of our space. We remain independent. 
>>> 
>>> Ben 
>>> 
>>> On 10/16/2013 1:52 PM, Florencia Edwards wrote:
>>>> I wanted to ask you what you guys think about this. At our hackerspace people who manage it are trying to make some strategic alliances with universities, schools, culture centers... But I think it's not good. A hackerspace is an alternative to this institutions and methods of education. Making an alliance only makes this institutions try to use the hackerspace their way (they have more power), trying to preasure us to adapt to their methods of education, what their students need, special workshops... I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong, . I love everyone to know about a makerspace or hackerspace and to come here to explore, but this institutions have a way of imposing or forcing things... 
>>>>  
>>>> Do any of you have experience with school or collages, are they good? Can you give me some advice?
>>>>  
>>>> Cheers all 
>>>> 
>>>> 
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>> 
>>  
> 
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