On December 4, 2019, Moreno Valley College’s iMake Innovation Center officially opened its doors, providing students access to state-of-the-art equipment and the ability to turn their ideas into reality.
Students check out a robot created in the lab.
“We are excited to introduce this fantastic resource. The iMAKE Mobile Innovation Center is designed as a collaborative space which will bring back the art of making and foster creativity. It is an inspiring environment for makers to cultivate their passion to enact change in the world by developing solutions to real-world problems and we look forward to sharing it with our community,” Melody Graveen, Ed.D., dean, Instruction, Career & Technical Education, said.
A puzzle created using the laser cutter.
Made possible through the California Community College Maker Implementation Grant from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, the 4,150-square-foot lab is outfitted with everything needed to design, build, program, and test almost anything a student can think of, from 3D printers, laser cutters, and milling machines to programming and electrical stations.
When the Riverside Community College District released an RFP for consulting and design services of the lab, Base 11 was uniquely positioned for the project, having successfully opened Innovation Centers in California, Arizona, and Pennsylvania.
A Moreno Valley College students shows off his scientific approach to making coffee.
The Center serves as the next iteration of the iMake Mobile Center, an RV containing a mobile lab with similar capabilities that Base 11 also helped build out.
The folks at MVC knew that it takes more than just equipment to make a lab successful; it must also be an environment where students feel safe and inspired to explore, learn, and create, which is the philosophy that many makerspaces employ. The honing of technical skills combined with the ability to innovate allows MVC to prepare its students with the skills they need to become the competitive workforce of the 21st century.
“Moreno Valley College is committed to paving the road so that our students can succeed. This Center will lead to transformational changes when it comes to learning, creating, and delivering solutions to today’s and tomorrow’s problems,” Robin Steinback, Ph.D., president, Moreno Valley College, said.
To learn more about Base 11’s Innovation Centers, click here.