For much of March, Aurora College ran an engaging and educational maker space workshop in Aklavik's old hamlet chambers.
The event required a coordinated effort to pull off, but was ultimately a big success, according to program manager Jennifer Rafferty.
"Anytime you undertake the delivery of a workshop that involves a lot of equipment and new technology, and getting it from down south all the way up to the Arctic, there's so many logistics and so many little things that need to happen," she said. "The fact that we've been able to deliver this with our partners is really wonderful.
"A project of this magnitude, it really requires many partners and many people contributing to it. This really was a collaborative team effort."
The maker space workshop was broken into three segments between March 3-19. Seven people signed up SA国际影视传媒� one shy of the eight-person limit. Those who participated were rewarded with access to state-of-the-art technology like a 3D printer, a laser cutter and direct-to-film printing technology.
Led by instructors from the college, participants learned how to use the devices, incorporating natural materials, such as fur and antler, to make a number of interesting items SA国际影视传媒� wall hangings and personalized mugs, for example.
"They were able to customize things like mugs and puzzles using a sublimation printer," Rafferty said. "That was really well-received. I think it's universal: People like to see [images of] their family and friends and stuff on customized goods. We used the direct-to-film printer, which gave us the ability to make things like coasters. It allows you to print on things like wood and leather, which is really exciting. We also made some birch-bark jewelry, some antler earrings and also some customized magnets made out of antler, which is pretty neat."
Some of the participants planned on giving the items they made to family members and friends, but they didn't just leave the workshop with gifts.
They also picked up new skills and gained confidence.
"One thing that's really wonderful about maker spaces in general is that they support the learning and development of skills for success," said Rafferty. "If we're thinking about things like digital learning and design, problem-solving, and exploring creativity and innovation, this space and this workshop in particular allows opportunity for all of those things to be explored and for people to grow their skills, which can be used in future for things like entrepreneurship.
"It's also just giving the learners a sense of confidence. I think that's really important. That might not be a specific skill, but we can see over the three weeks the learners developing their abilities and growing their confidence in things like digital design, which can be quite intimidating for a lot of people.
Aurora College selected Aklavik for its latest maker space workshop because the local governments, including the Gwich'in Tribal Council and Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, were supportive of the idea.
Plans are already in motion for a similar workshop in Fort Smith "in the next couple of months," according to Rafferty, and the college will likely bring the program to other communities beyond that. It's merely a question of finding the right partners.
"We're open to doing it anywhere in NWT, provided, of course, that we have a partner that's ready to dive in and be excited to try something new," she said.
