Philanthropy

The Makerspace club takes pride in giving back to the community that supports it so well. We continually reach out to non-profits and community organizations to partner on projects that benefit worthwhile causes. Not only do these projects build technical skills in our students, but they also instill important qualities of gratitude and community service. The Makerspace club frequently applies for grants to support these philanthropic endeavors. Some of our previous partnerships include:

• Designing custom merchandise for Valor Home, a residential facility serving veterans in the Akron area. (Support provided from a generous grant from the Hudson Rotary Club.)

• Creating extended reality experiences for residents in assisted living facilities using virtual reality headsets. This program involves a partnership with Immersive Cure, a non-profit organization that brings virtual field trips to people with mobility impairments. (Support provided from a generous grant from the GAR Foundation.)

• Partnering with the Kent State University Design Innovation Hub and the Young Entrepreneur Institute to initiate a Makertunity program, which provides vocational and mentoring opportunities for students with special needs. (Support provided from a generous grant from the GAR Foundation.)

• Creating custom merchandise to raise funds for a community playground designed for children of all abilities (Mila's Hope and Rowyn's Dreams).

• Partnering with teachers from Ellsworth Hill Elementary School to create collaborative opportunities with second graders to design and sell merchandise to raise funds for Akron Children's Hospital and Australian wildfire relief. We loved hosting the second graders in our Makerspace to show them how to use the machines to bring their creations to life! (Support provided from generous grants from Hudson Parent Teacher Organization.)

• Joined forces with the HHS Social Studies department to make merchandise to raise funds to help staff members with family medical calamities. Students made a variety of merchandise with the Jefferson Diner logo. Jefferson Diner is a band formed by teachers in the Social Studies department.

• Partnering with a special education teacher at HHS to provide a variety of creative fabrication projects with students with special needs. (Support provided from generous grants from Hudson Parent Teacher Organization.)