YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The operators of a new maker space say they hope the center will encourage more people to come downtown.
The DiscoveryZone.Live Innovation Space is part of Advanced Methods in Innovation, a nonprofit organization based at the Youngstown Business Incubator focused on enhancing education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics – or STEM – fields and expanding career exploration and development opportunities in the region.
After operating pilot programs since last summer, it is celebrating its opening to the public with a ribbon cutting Tuesday.
“We want to be able to offer hands-on opportunities for students, both in school but, critically, also outside of school hours because there are only so many hours in the school day,” said Bill Scott, AMI executive director.
The Innovation Space, located in the space formerly occupied by Joe Maxx Coffee Co., 265 W. Federal St., features an array of maker devices, including 3D printers, direct-to-film printers, design software and laser cutters.
In addition, the center has a large-scale, ring camera digitizer, which will simultaneously take 88 photographs of an individual or object that can be used to generate a 3D model that can be printed either onsite in one color or at MiMe’s studio in Youngstown for a full-color print.
“We really want that to be an asset for both schools and also the larger community, and have something to offer everyone and have a reason to come downtown,” he said.
Jack Scott, AMI CEO and Bill’s father, said part of AMI’s objective with the Innovation Space is to counter various misperceptions about downtown Youngstown, including that there is nothing to do there, that it is unsafe and there is no place to park.
“We want to be part of downtown,” he said. “We want to be a reason for people to come downtown. We want them to have a reason for them to bring their kids downtown. We want to have opportunities for people to be creative and express their creativity.”
Funding for the space included a combined $450,000 from an Appalachian Regional Commission grant and American Rescue Plan funds allocated by the Mahoning County Board of Commissioners, as well as about $150,000 from the Scott family.
Providing the ARP funds to the Innovation Space will help local young people discover new interests and options for employment, Mahoning County Commissioner Carol Rimedio-Righetti said.
“We’re investing in young people and the future of not only Mahoning County but Ohio,” she said.
Since the Innovation Space began operating last summer, the focus has been on educational programming.
“We haven’t done any community-based programs,” Bill Scott said. Part of the funding it received was to address loss of hands-on learning opportunities, particularly in the STEM disciplines, because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Innovation Space has about 50 schools involved in its Invent to Make program, Jack Scott said.
“We do a lot of field trips but haven’t had the community aspect yet, and that’s what we’re moving toward now,” he continued. Classes are planned initially on Thursdays and Saturdays, with expanded hours as summer approaches. Early workshops will focus on creating gifts for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
Plans also call for allowing groups and organizations to reserve the space for events, using the space to hold birthday parties and hosting themed events such as senior nights and date nights.
“We’d like to see this grow and expand. We’d like to outgrow this space as quickly as possible, but it’s going to depend on whether or not people support it,” Jack Scott said.
Pictured at top: Bill Scott, left, and Jack Scott.