ERIK SWANSON, VISTA WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA AND MISSOULA PUBLIC LIBRARY MAKERSPACE, CHECKS-IN

Erik Swanson tabling at U of M Volunteer Fair

Erik Swanson started his year of service as a Montana Campus Compact (MTCC) VISTA back in July of 2015.  Erik has made a ridiculously significant positive impact within his service site, the Missoula Public Library MakerSpace. The MakerSpace supports STEM learning, and provides resurces and tools to support innovative ideas to become reality.  Erik has grown the MakerSpace's capacity and increased its volunteer involvement, hours donated, and classes offered to levels the MakersSpace has never seen before.

Here is what Erik had to say about his service: 

What is your background and what led you to VISTA service?

The driving principal of my life is mutual aid: people help each other because it is beneficial to do so. I enjoy serving my community. It makes me happy. Before VISTA, I was struggling with my depression, and rarely left my house. Getting involved in my community helped me care about it, and become a healthier person.

Talk about what your project is about, and what you're working on?

Erik reading to students on MLK

My service is with the Missoula Public Library's Makerspace. We provide a space for community member's to learn and practice hands on 'making' skills. We do everything from 3d printing and modeling to jewelry crafting and electronics. We help people turn their ideas into physical things. The goal of the VISTA project is to provide STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills to struggling Missoula youth. These skills will help them thrive in the 21st century technology world. My main tasks are recruiting and training volunteers, and creating and overseeing educational programs. My favorite current class is our 'Computer Programming Through Minecraft.' This course teaches children the fundamentals of computer science through the lens of Minecraft, one of the world's most popular games.

How have you incorporated your campus partner into your efforts?

My campus partner is SpectrUM, (Missoula's hands-on science center) so we have a common interest in children's STEM activities. Besides referrals, I have also deepened our partnership through summer camp visits and sharing technology resources. In the spring I attended SpectrUM's Innovate UM conference as a guest tabler for the MakerSpace. 

What motivates you to serve as a VISTA?

A desire to help others and learn new things.

What are your plans after VISTA?

After VISTA I plan to serve as a Makerspace Manager and continue volunteering in my community.

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Erik will complete his service on July 17, 2016. We at the MTCC network office want to thank him for his hard work in service to the Missoula community and to our country as a whole. We wish him luck in all future endeavors! 

EDUCATING CITIZENS, BUILDING COMMUNITY AT THE MISSOULA PUBLIC LIBRARY

MTCC VISTA Erik Swanson

Public libraries are community hubs for information, activities, and support for community members and families. Missoula PublicLibrary offers these services, as well as unique programming. The Missoula Public Library in partnership with the Univervsity of Montana's SpectrUM science museum is a current host site for an MTCC VISTA project. the project is developing infrastructure to help alleviate poverty in a community by generating early interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (or "STEM") careers.

One of the new and unique services available atthe Missoula Public Library is the MakerSpace. This new area is located downstairs and can help anyone “turn an idea into a physical thing” according to VISTA Erik Swanson. Some of the examples of things people have made are replicas of arrowheads, a zebra, a fox, and a frog. 

Fox and Frog 3D prints

During the first year of the project VISTA member Rebecca Rice, helped increase the community awareness of the MakerSpace area and develop an interest for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) through outreach to economically disadvantaged youth and community. Visits to the MakerSpace increased each month from 78 to 229, a 290% increase. Near the end of this first project year, the Missoula Public Library offered summer camps, which enrolled 10 children, aged 8 – 12 years old, to learn about STEM and how to make things in the MakerSpace. MTCC VISTA Summer Associate (and former staffer!), Kathy Peterson, currently a full-time college student at University ofMontana, served during the summer for 10 weeks to support these camps with direct service. Kathy built partnerships with spectrUM and recruited UM students, and faculty, to help teach STEM lessons to young people.

VISTA member Erik Swanson started his  service in July and is currently recruiting University of Montana college students to help in this center and to develop training and programs for the MakerSpace. So far, he has seven volunteers who help him with the space and he is busy trying to get internships set up to help keep the MakerSpace available even more to the community.

Erik has taken on the task of increasing volunteers and implementing strategies to create sustainability within the MakerSpace. He is currently looking for volunteers and interested persons to teach classes on all kinds of STEM topics. Some of the electronics equipment currently in use at the MakerSpace is the Raspberry Pi, a microcomputer that hooks up to a standard monitor, keyboard and mouse, and it helps learn programming. There are electronic snap circuit board sets, soldering, and a 3D printer and scanner, which can help make “an idea into a thing”. Erik explains this 3D printing technology is something many industries are using and it is becoming an important skill to develop in our youth and community as it can build a path out of poverty. 

Missoula Public Library's MakerSpace is located in downtown Missoula at 301 E. Main Street and are open seven days a week!