Hausner Makers

We are a parent-led ”maker group” with oversight by Smita Kolhatkar, the Director of Lower School and Director of Technology & Innovation. All members of the Hausner community are welcome to attend including students, parents, staff, and alumni. The mission of the group is to provide a casual, fun forum for sharing DIY (do it yourself) projects, learning new skills, and participating in fun maker challenges.

The meeting format is modeled after the MakePhilly meeting format which parent host, Harris Romanoff, created a number of years back. That group, which was recognized by Make Magazine as their “first maker chapter in the world”, grew to include over 700 engineers, designers, and artists who gathered monthly at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

Each meeting is 2 hours and comprised of 3 parts:

• OPEN MAKE (~10mins): Provides an opportunity for any attendee to briefly share a recently completed project or to get feedback / guidance on a current project.
• MAKER PRESENTATION (~20 mins): A short talk by a subject matter expert about an inspiring topic or maker skill.
• MAKER CHALLENGE (~60 mins): The group is divided into teams and has a fixed amount of time to design & build a device / machine / contraption to meet the challenge objective. Importantly the vast majority of parts used for the challenge are from recycled / repurposed objects. In addition, each team will be given a “Maker Tool Kit” that provides a variety of tools and fasteners. These challenges are the heart & soul of the meetings as they are intense, fun and unlike anything else most attendees have experienced. 

Where are the meetings held? Meetings will typically be held in the Creativity Lab of Hausner and / or outside at the Hausner lunch tables.

When are the meetings? For our first year, we’re planning 4 meetings. Each meeting will be held on a Sunday afternoon from 2-4 pm. Please note that security personnel will be present at the 450 gate starting at 1:30 pm and security will leave at 4:30 pm – no childcare will be available before or after these times. Tentative dates for future meetings are: 12/3/2023, 2/11/2024, 4/14/2024.

What is the cost? There is no cost to attend 😊

What ages should attend? All Hausner students (TK – 8) are welcome to attend. Presenters are given guidance to tailor their presentations to our upper school students (i.e. 5th – 8th) while at the same time ensuring some of the content will still resonate with our youngest students. For each maker challenge, there will be a variety of roles & responsibilities to ensure everyone has fun and is challenged. For example, upper school students might be wrangling with gears & electronics, while younger students will be challenged to make creative aesthetic contributions.

Can I drop off my child (and not stay at the meeting)? First, please know that parents are absolutely encouraged to attend and participate in all activities. In fact, we guarantee adults will have just as much fun as the kids! If you’re unable to stay and your child is in upper school then you may drop them off at the meeting. However, if your child is in lower school, then your child must be accompanied by an adult throughout the meeting.

Do I need any special skills or knowledge to attend? Absolutely not! Each meeting is carefully crafted to ensure that the content and activities are accessible to attendees of all backgrounds and experience levels.

Do I need to bring anything to the meetings? The short answer is no, just bring your enthusiasm & creativity! If you have a handmade project that you wish to share with the group, feel free to bring that (this is completely optional). Also optional: if you have any broken small appliances or electronic devices, feel free to bring those (following the meeting, they will be disassembled and their parts will be added to the parts bins for future meetings!).

Can I bring food or drink? Food & drink is not permitted in the Creativity Lab nor during any portion of Hausner Makers. The building will be accessible for water fountain use.

Whom can I contact with additional questions? Feel free to get in touch with Harris Romanoff, his email can be found here.