The Library’s Makerspace program “You Can Build a Robot!” is a wonderful informal learning opportunity for participants on many levels. Program participants will develop competencies in 3D printing, microcontrollers and programming basics within a supportive learning community. However, more than just the gains in technical skills, participants will develop confidence in their abilities to tackle projects that may have once seemed unreachable.

For some participants building their own moving robot will be a bit daunting. The program is designed to support beginners who may even be a little intimidated with technology, by breaking down the overall project into small, achievable steps. The project breakdown structure will build participant confidence as each step is accomplished. In their chapter, “Creativity Thinking Skills Promoted Through Educational Robotics”, Eteokleous, Nisiforou and Christodoulou suggest creativity as a gain participants can achieve by integrating robots into learning. In “Learning and Innovation Skills in Making Contexts”, Timotheou and Andri suggest that making supports critical learning and problem-solving competencies that can enhance learners in formal learning environments and beyond.