Whether you lead a district, a school, a department, or a classroom, investing in a makerspace means investing in what students can do and who they become. 1st Maker Space gives every educator the tools, support, and funding paths to make it real.
The Value of 1st Maker Space
1st Maker Space works with educators at every level of the school community. You don’t need a specific title to start the conversation.
Engagement is down. Career readiness is a talking point that rarely translates to classroom reality. Whether you’re navigating a district budget cycle, justifying a program to your principal, or trying to keep students connected to learning, the pressure is real. You need something that works for students, holds up under scrutiny, and doesn’t leave your team figuring it out alone.
A makerspace done right solves all of it. The question is finding the right partner to get you there.
1st Maker Space has helped schools and districts of every size across the Midwest design, build, and sustain makerspaces that move the needle on engagement, career readiness, and community pride. We handle everything from the initial design and furniture to lesson plans and ongoing support so your staff isn’t left figuring it out alone. Our three-tier solution structure means you can start with one school at the entry level, prove the model, and scale from there.
We’ve installed makerspaces in single-school districts and built twelve spaces across a district at once. We design around your buildings, your goals, and your academic calendar.
Title IV, Perkins V, Toyota Driving Possibilities, Magnet Schools Assistance, state STEM grants, and local corporate partners. We help you identify every funding path available to you before you spend a dollar of general fund.
We provide ongoing support, professional development, and equipment service after installation. The makerspace doesn’t run on autopilot and we don’t expect it to. We stay involved.
We’ll walk you through all three tier options and identify every funding source available to your school or district. That’s where the conversation starts.
See What's PossibleSchools and districts across the Midwest have partnered with 1st Maker Space to build programs that produce measurable results. Here’s what that looks like on the ground.
Gary Community School Corporation partnered with 1st Maker Space to install 12 makerspaces, STEM labs, robotics labs, and innovation spaces across seven schools. The goal was direct: create spaces with the tools and equipment needed to engage student interest in STEM careers. It’s one of the largest makerspace rollouts in the region and it started with a single conversation.
“Developing the makerspaces launched STEM at APA. Before the makerspace, teachers didn’t have the resources. Having the space has encouraged teachers to think outside of the box to engage students in their own learning. I had an idea for developing this space, but 1st Maker Space showed me what that vision could become. They are still supporting our development, and I look forward to our long-term partnership.”
“I want to thank you so much for supporting and believing in our school. It means more than you know. I’m so happy that 1st Maker Space is expanding and giving kids from every background an opportunity to dream big and do all that they can imagine.”
“It might just look like a room when you walk in. But the makerspace can really be anything you want it to be. Everyone’s at the same level in there. And I think that’s good for the kids.”
“Having the makerspace here has been amazing. It gives kids a chance to actually see how some of the things they’re learning can be applied to real-world scenarios.”
Schools, districts, and after-school programs of every size, across the Midwest, have made this investment and haven’t looked back.
See What's PossibleMakerspace investments at every level have been funded through a wide range of sources. Title IV, Part A federal funding can be applied toward makerspace design, equipment, and lesson plans, and 1st Maker Space is recommended for Title IV purchases. For districts with CTE programs, Perkins V covers CTE-aligned equipment and professional development. The Toyota Driving Possibilities initiative has committed over $110 million nationally to STEM career readiness programming, and districts in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio are particularly well positioned to apply. Meta is actively funding makerspace and STEM programs in districts near its data center facilities. The Magnet Schools Assistance Program provides federal grants for innovative magnet programs including STEM makerspaces. We help you navigate the full funding landscape as part of every consultation.
See What's PossibleEvery school is different, and so is every budget. We offer three tier options from entry-level to fully equipped. Many schools and districts fund their makerspace investment through Title IV, Perkins V, Toyota Driving Possibilities, state STEM grants, or local and corporate partners. We help you identify every available path on your discovery call so the conversation starts with what’s possible, not just what something costs.
We’ve done twelve buildings at once. We phase the installation around your academic calendar and manage the project timeline so your principals aren’t coordinating logistics.
We help you build the case. We provide data on engagement outcomes, career readiness alignment, and grant funding that shifts the conversation from whether this is worth it to how to pay for it.
We provide ongoing support, professional development, and equipment service. The makerspace doesn’t run on autopilot and we don’t expect it to. We stay involved.
Many of our district relationships started with one school. Once the results are visible, expansion is usually the easy conversation. Our three-tier structure is designed to let you start where your budget allows and grow from there.
Every school is different. So is every space and every budget. Here’s what working with us looks like from start to finish.
We listen first. We learn about your school or district, your goals, and what you want to achieve for your students before we recommend anything.
We design your makerspace around your goals and budget, and walk you through every funding option including grants and Title IV.
We handle everything. Your finished makerspace is ready on day one, and your teachers are trained and confident to use it.
Every conversation starts with a real conversation about your goals, your budget, and the funding available to you. No obligation. Just clarity on what’s possible for your school or district.