Making Meaning Beyond Words: Launching a Teaching Makerspace
The Bacca Fellowship transformed my vision for an arts-based makerspace from a simple request for space into a comprehensive pedagogical framework.
The Bacca Fellowship transformed my vision for an arts-based makerspace from a simple request for space into a comprehensive pedagogical framework. My initial proposal sought to establish a dedicated area where students could engage with course material through tactile, creative processes - where making becomes a mode of thinking rather than production. What made this evolution possible was the fellowship's collaborative ecosystem. Monthly gatherings provided structured yet free-flowing opportunities to share ideas and marvel at creative possibilities. The fellowship space itself became a model for what the makerspace could be. Our monthly conversations around intent and purpose naturally demonstrated how shared physical presence generates new ideas. When I doubted the project's value, colleagues from across disciplines offered perspectives I hadn't considered—how tactile engagement reaches different learning styles, crosses disciplinary boundaries, and creates unexpected connections. Their questions helped me refine how to present the concept to skeptical faculty, while their encouragement sustained me during moments of uncertainty about the project's worth.
These cross-disciplinary conversations helped me articulate how material engagement facilitates forms of learning that transcend purely written expression. The fellows challenged me to demonstrate how the space would enhance Trinity's liberal arts mission by breaking down disciplinary barriers and engaging both mind and body in the learning process.
As I work to secure the physical space, I carry the collaborative spirit of the Bacca Fellowship. The makerspace, when established, will embody this ethos—a space where faculty and students across disciplines can think through making and discover new perspectives. It will be a testament to what the fellowship models so well: that our teaching practices flourish most vibrantly when nurtured in community with others.
IMAGE CREDIT: Nan Mullenneaux
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rhiannon Scharnhorst
