Hello everyone,
The Maker Faire Wayne County is a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness and a celebration of the Maker Movement. It’s a place where people show what they are making and share what they are learning. Makers range from tech enthusiasts to crafters to homesteaders to scientists to garage tinkerers. They are of all ages and backgrounds. The aim of Maker Faire is to entertain, inform, connect and grow this community.
The Daily Record said it best: “Dubbed the ‘Greatest Show and Tell on Earth’; over 1,200 people flocked to the third annual faire at the University of Akron Wayne College the summer before last. It was a fresh experience with favorite makers from previous years along with new makers and new things to see and do.
Empire State Maker Faire 2020 is coming! Offered virtually this October 16th & 17th, regional faires throughout New York state have banded together to create a virtual interactive experience! Empire State Maker Faire will share the creative work and technical know-how of all kinds of makers who share a passion for making. The event features demonstrations, performances and how-to workshops, and an online project showcase.
Empire State Maker Faire is free and open to the public. This is a “virtual” maker faire, meaning you can attend and participate from your computer, right at home! Makers from around the world are encouraged to apply.
We are proud to showcase Ohio makers who participated in Maker Faire Wayne County. One of these people is Natalie Wardega of RePlay for Kids. RePlay has been training volunteers to adapt toys since 1999. Its mission is to increase the availability of adapted toys and assistive devices for children with disabilities. RePlay for Kids repairs, adapts, and distributes toys and assistive devices free of charge. In doing so, they strive to raise awareness and increase the number and variety of toys and devices available to the children who need them. Last year, they gave away over 1,500 toys to children and agencies.
At Maker Faire Wayne County, RePlay for Kids taught volunteers to adapt toys for kids with disabilities. Volunteers learned how to solder a wire in parallel with the original switch so that a child can activate the toy teaching them “cause and effect”. Their booth at the faire was a hit! There was a continual stream of children and adults learning how to adapt toys hands on with instruction. We are so glad Replay for Kids supports the Maker community.
Another person who participated in Maker Faire Wayne County is Joanne Lehman. Many people dream of becoming a published author. This is not an unrealistic goal if you’re willing to dedicate time and energy towards your dream. As an experienced author who has published books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, Joanne gave advice and guidance at Maker Faire Wayne County to would-be authors. Attendees learned about the steps that will take them from that first creative impulse, to developing a manuscript, to finding a publisher (or self-publishing), and finally, to marketing a book to its potential audience.
Joanne Lehman teaches English Composition and Literature courses at University of Akron Wayne College. She holds a B.A. in Communication Arts from Malone University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Ashland University. She has published three books of poetry, most recently FOUNTAIN NOOK published by The Orchard Street Press, ltd. Her poetry chapbook MORNING SONG won the 2004 Wick Poetry Prize from Kent State University. In addition to poetry, Joanne has published a novel and a book of creative nonfiction . She is currently working on a novel targeted to the Inspirational Fiction/Women’s Fiction market. During her five decades as a writer, Joanne has published numerous articles and poems in local newspapers, religious periodicals, and literary magazines. Joanne and her husband Ralph are lifelong residents of Wayne County.
Rounding out our participating makers is Josh Baker. Josh is a civil engineering student at the University of Akron. He loves buildings and hopes to design them one day. In the meantime, Josh fell in-love with 3D modeling. He loves everything about the design process. Josh has four years of modeling experience, mostly in SolidWorks, but also in AutoCAD and various sculpting programs.
Josh has done a lot recreations for people and quite a few original projects as well. At the Maker Faire last year, he promoted ProtoTyp3D, a 3D design and printing service. Josh showed faire attendees how to draw 3D models whether they are originals or recreations. At Josh’s table, people learned about the design process and checked out some of his past projects.
If you would like to know more about RePlay for Kids, Joanne’s authoring and publishing advice, or Josh’s 3D printed creations, please reply to this email!
Until next week,
Tom