ATC Makerspace

The U.S. is facing a worker shortage in industries vital to the basic needs of its citizens including healthcare, housing, and infrastructure. South Carolina is not exempt from nationwide worker shortages, especially in trades such as HVAC, welding, and construction. As older employees retire, a younger workforce must be trained to provide essential services. HRSA projects that South Carolina will have one of the largest projected nursing shortages in the nation (19%), expected to fall 11,860 nurses short of what is needed in the state by 2037. Due to high demand, these roles pay higher than average wages, and require less than a bachelor’s degree.

At the same time, local residents are struggling to get by, with the state minimum wage ($7.25 per hour) well below what is needed to support a family. Aiken County has a poverty rate of 17%, significantly higher than the national average of 11.1%, according to U.S. census data.

ATC is solving both problems at once by supplying an affordable, quality education and connecting its students to well-paying jobs in established and growing sectors. Specialized technical education in line with local workforce demands provides opportunities for adults to gain new skills for well-paying jobs.

In order to offer the hands-on training required of in-demand fields such as electrical engineering and healthcare, ATC must have access to up-to-date technology and best practices used by industry. Students also need resources that allow them to learn at their own pace, explore different study methods, create, and experiment with different career options. After students enroll at ATC, they have access to a wide variety of technology and equipment through the library’s STEAM Room for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Math. This Makerspace includes electronic circuit kits, robotics kits, 3D printers, virtual reality (VR) equipment, and laser engraver, among other tools. Staff is available to assist students with the equipment and build out specific models for any program of study. Students without their own personal laptop are also able to borrow one from ATC to use for school. Personal computers are essential to the modern college student, especially those from rural areas who attend classes remotely.

The STEAM Room is a vital resource for students practice the skills they learn in class, create 3D models to study, use VR to explore a career path or sharpen their machining skills, and utilize state-of-the-art equipment for entrepreneurial endeavors.

The STEAM Room is available to all ATC students. Most people do not have access to advanced equipment such as 3D printers in their everyday lives, and this is especially true for ATC students, where over 90% receive financial aid to attend college. Open access to state-of-the-art technology serves ATC students in three ways. First, it reinforces the training students receive in the classroom with hands-on study tools. Second, students can use VR and other tools available to explore potential career paths. They can see what kind of tasks CNC mechanics perform with VR technology, or try working on a circuit board to see if a career as an electrician is right for them. Third, the tools can be used for independent projects or business endeavors such as creating a marketing video or designing business cards.

The laptop lending program provides a critical resource for disadvantaged students. Whether they study computer science, nursing, or welding, students need a computer to complete the basic tasks of their education. Whether they work in an office or a manufacturing facility, employees must have access to computers to gain the skills they need to succeed in a modern workplace.

ATC offers over 40 different degrees and credentials in university transfer, health, public service, business, industrial technology, engineering technology, nuclear technology, and computer technology programs.

The STEAM Room and laptop lending program is housed within the ATC library and overseen by Katie Miller, Director of library resources. A STEAM Room specialist is available throughout the week to assist students in using the available technology. These employees work directly with the students utilizing this technology and collect their input, ideas, and feedback. Quarterly reports on usage of the STEAM Room and laptops provide important insight into the interests and priorities of ATC students.

Approximately 50 students engage with the STEAM Room each semester, and hundreds more engage with STEAM Room equipment at community events such as the Fall Fission Festival at the Savannah River Site Museum. Recently, the STEAM Room specialist assisted a health sciences student create a 3D printed model of the human heart to study with. There are dozens of other anatomy models created by the 3D printing machine that students can “check out” from the library and study just like they would a book.

Over 100 students borrow a laptop from the ATC library each year, with an equal number on a waitlist to receive one. Due to popular demand, ATC does not have enough laptops to accommodate every student that needs one. These devices are most needed by students in online classes who either live in rural areas far from ATC campus or have little access to transportation to attend classes or access resources in-person. The laptop gives these students not only the technology they need to attend class and turn in assignments, but also the means to access student supports like tutoring. 

The STEAM Room has been active at ATC Since 2016. Students have been utilizing these services on a regular basis, with the 3D printer one of the most popular items. When interest in particular technology grows, ATC incorporates it into the STEAM Room. As advancements are made in virtual reality and other technology, ATC makes necessary upgrades to the STEAM Room to utilize up-to-do practices and tools.

In 2020, a grant from the Community Foundation for the Central Savannah River Area provided a much-needed investment into the STEAM Room to improve its equipment. These improvements included a 3D scanner and additional virtual reality equipment, as well as moving the STEAM Room to a larger space in the library as part of the ATC Learning Commons.

The laptop lending program has become a vital resource for financially disadvantaged students. Since 2021, this program has been available to all ATC students. A personal computer is a vital component to post-secondary success, not only for class assignments and learning software, but also for staying up-to-date with grades and communicating with faculty and staff. The laptop lending programs ensures more equitable access to the resources students need to excel in college.

https://www.atc.edu/Study/Library/STEAM

ATC’s solution is innovative because it brings equal access to state-of-the-art technology. The STEAM Room brings creative learning tools to low-income students and adult learners. This program is different than other approaches because it exists outside of the traditional classroom, allowing learners to interact with this technology at their own pace and with their own ideas. A student does not need to be working on a specific assignment or any class at all to utilize the STEAM Room. They could use the green screen to help market their own business, or the robotics kit to make a toy for their child. By opening up the MakerSpace to all students for a variety of purposes, students are free to explore creative processes and learn in an individualized way. The STEAM Room focuses on serving kinesthetic, or hands-on learners. Hundreds of students work and learn in this space each year. They find creative ways to work on class projects, explore science and technology, and discover potential career pathways. The STEAM Room specialist provides the training necessary for beginners to use the equipment, and provides ideas and support throughout the process.

The laptop lending program in innovative because it goes beyond the typical computer labs available to students on campus. By providing a laptop for students to take home with them, students can access online courses without having to commute to campus, which can be a hardship for students in the rural areas of Aiken County. 

The impact goals of ATC’s solution center around providing affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education to the Central Savannah River Area. These goals are accomplished not only by providing excellent instruction within the classroom, but also excellent support mechanisms outside of the classroom including the STEAM Room and laptop lending program. The latest technology offered through the STEAM Room allows students to learn on the most up-to-date equipment, which makes them better prepared to enter the workforce or further their postsecondary education. The open-door environment lets learners create and tackle projects at their own pace

These goals are measured through both usage and feedback. Usage of the STEAM Room and laptop lending program is the best indicator that students find these services helpful and necessary. The STEAM Room specialist tracks not only the number of students using the tools each semester, but also which tools they use and what projects they request. These indicators help the staff make future investments in technology and respond to student needs. Creative usages of equipment may inspire other students to engage with the technology in a similar way.

In the laptop lending program, staff track each laptop checked out as well as which program of study those who check out laptops are enrolled in. Staff provide troubleshooting support for students in need of extra assistance and basic maintenance. Library staff also track a long waitlist of students in need of laptops, and direct them to other services, like on campus computer labs to support their education. 

This solution team consists of Katie Miller, Director of Library Services; Newkirk Barnes, Librarian; and Adam Abbadusky, STEAM Room Specialist. Laddie Miller Trithara is the Grants Administrator and will work on the technical assistance, proposal application, and financial management of the prize funds. 

The STEAM Room has been in place at Aiken Technical College since 2016, and the laptop lending program has been in effect since 2021. 

Both the STEAM Room and the laptop lending program represent ways in which Aiken Technical College reduces barriers to student success. The elimination of financial barriers, such as the inability to afford a personal computer, promotes an equitable learning environment where students can achieve their goals. As part of its five-year strategic plan, one of ATC’s goals is to cultivate an inclusive college environment that supports the growth, development, and retention of diverse students, faculty, and staff. This goal is accomplished through five strategic activities.

• Attract and retain the most talented and diverse students, faculty, staff, and volunteers.
• Continue fostering a culture where students, faculty, and staff can thrive and succeed.
• Encourage cross-departmental communication, collaboration, and consistency.
• Expand professional development opportunities for students, faculty, and staff.
• Engage with and support ever-changing populations in the broader community.

Services like the laptop lending program and the STEAM Room support these goals by recruiting diverse students, helping students thrive and succeed, and supporting the ever-changing student population.

In addition to being an open-door institution, the services provided in the Learning Commons provide additional supports to students who learn differently. For students who need more tactile learning options, the STEAM Room is an excellent resource where they can engage with subjects in a way that better suits their learning style. 

Aiken Technical College’s vision is to be the first choice for higher education in the region. This is done by providing the citizens of greater Aiken County with opportunities for educational and workforce development. As a public, open-door, two-year comprehensive institution of higher education, ATC strives to provide valuable and affordable credentials that result in good jobs or opportunities to pursue additional degrees. Academic programs are based on workforce needs of the local area, and students are able to pursue their education with a great degree of flexibility, such as attending part-time, taking online classes, or evening classes. Staff and faculty work together with advisory boards comprised of local employers to design and implement programs that respond to needs of our region, such as addressing the critical nursing shortage or growth of the IT sector.

ATC has over 40 different degree and certification programs, including nursing, welding, computer science, and associate degrees that transfer to 4-year institutions. Instruction is provided by experienced faculty and includes hands-on training with the newest equipment used by professionals in the field. In addition to the specific skills gained for in-demand jobs, graduates of ATC will demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills. They will solve problems using critical thinking skills and formulate strategies to identify, collect, analyze, develop, and evaluate information. Graduates will also demonstrate quantitative skills and analysis appropriate to their area of study.

A wide variety of student support services, such as tutoring, counseling, and advising help students navigate their way through college. The vast majority of ATC students receive financial aid of some sort, and many pay no tuition at all out of pocket. ATC offers an affordable and quality education to the local population, and will continue to grow and adapt to community needs.

The regular operation and supplies for the STEAM Room and laptop lending program are funded through college revenue generated by tuition. The STEAM Room specialist salary is funded, in part, through Perkins grant funding, which is an annual program and an ongoing reliable funding source for the college. Updates to equipment and technology in the STEAM Room have come from grant funding such as the $10,500 grant from the Community Foundation of the Central Savannah River Area. This funding provided much need upgrades to the 3D printers, scanners, and VR equipment in 2020.

ATC will continue to use Perkins funding to ensure a STEAM Room specialist is available to assist with equipment as well as facilitate troubleshooting with the laptop lending program. For future equipment upgrades and expansion of the laptop lending program, ATC will pursue grant opportunities and coordinate with the Aiken Technical Foundation to seek donations to meet these goals. 

We are applying to the Truist Foundation Inspire Awards to provide much needed upgrades and capacity building to two effective programs at ATC. ATC has seen the success of the STEAM Room and laptop lending programs and would like to expand our capacity to support and engage students. We believe these resources are critical to upskilling workers and providing career navigation to learners of all ages. There is great potential to expand these services to serve students in creative ways, and ATC staff would greatly benefit from a peer support network to learn from other organizations that are undertaking innovative methods to upskill workers. In addition, as a small organization, we look forward to learning from subject matter experts and consultants that we would otherwise not have access to. As the primary hub for technical training in our county, ATC has the opportunity to provide innovative solutions that train workers for good jobs and help them navigate career possibilities. With support, resources, and workshops, we can learn from industry experts and implement new and creative practices into our services for students.