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Makership Proposal

This page will be used to flesh out the idea of a Makership, similar to what LVL1 does: http://www.lvl1.org/makership/

(See also: http://www.orlandominimakerfaire.com/makership-application/ and if you find other links of interest, please add them.)

(Everything below is subject to change… consider this a dynamic document.)

Makership

Milwaukee Makerspace is proud to be a part of Milwaukee and to provide a shared workspace where people can explore their passions in making and exploring things, whether it be art, technology, electronics, alternative energy, or rapid prototyping and fabrication. Our members are eager to share their skills and equipment with others, and we recognize that we learn better when we learn together, so we’re introducing a “makership” program, which will allow a local maker to become a full member though a sponsorship from the group.

What is a Makership?

A Makership at Milwaukee Makerspace consists of a full-time membership, which will give the awarded individual access to the space, its tools, and existing members. Besides helping the selected individual by sharing our skills and knowledge, we may be able to help acquire needed materials for proposed projects. The goal of our makership program is to give makers the things they need to get making!

We will award the Makership to applicants who can put together the best pitch for (1) what they want to make and (2) how they plan to do it. The project could be anything: an electronic device, an open source software/hardware project, a citizen science project, a project which benefits the community or non-profit organization, or (perhaps) a project we haven’t imagined. We want Milwaukee Makerspace to be the place where these things are made! Milwaukee Makerspace Makerships are open to anyone who could benefit from our community and resources to make something great.

Milwaukee Makerspace Makership Recipients Receive the Following:

A 3 month membership (cash equivalent value to $240 USD) at award start date.

Member rights include:

  • An RFID key for 24-hour access to Milwaukee Makerspace.
  • Access to Milwaukee Makerspace equipment, such as CNC router, laser cutter, woodshop, machine shop, electronics lab, welding equipment, etc.
  • Space at Milwaukee Makerspace to store a reasonable amount of equipment and materials.

Interested in Applying? See the attached document.


Makership Application

Makership Eligibility

  1. Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements as described in the Milwaukee Makerspace Eligibility criteria of the by-laws. <http://milwaukeemakerspace.org/about/makerspace-policies/>
  2. Applicants must not be an existing member of Milwaukee Makerspace.
  3. Applicants must be a resident of the Milwaukee area for the duration of the Makership.
  4. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age by award date.
  5. Applicants must be a student currently enrolled in an accredited post-secondary institution.

Review Criteria

The following criteria will inform the evaluation process. They are also meant to help applicants in crafting their applications. Judges will score proposals according to these criteria, but, they will also consider projects that show innovative and imaginative thinking.

  1. Personal Impact
    1. How significant a financial impact does the Milwaukee Makerspace Makership have on this applicant? After all, this is a need-based Makership.
  2. Makership Merit
    1. How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and understanding within its own field or across different fields?
    2. How well qualified is the applicant to conduct the project? (If appropriate, the reviewer will comment on the quality of prior work.)
    3. To what extent does the proposed activity suggest and explore creative, original, or potentially transformative concepts?
    4. How well conceived and organized is the proposed activity?
    5. Is there sufficient access to resources?
  3. Social Good
    1. Does this project improve the world?
    2. Will the results be open and shared to enhance scientific and technological understanding?
    3. Does the project promote sharing, openness, decentralization and world improvement (as prescribed by Stephen Levy in The Hacker Ethic)?
  4. Coolness Factor
    1. Is it cool? (We do like to have fun, you know!)

Application Materials

Complete applications will include the four components detailed below. You can choose how best to present each component, but please address each as fully as possible. Email complete applications to: makership@milwaukeemakerspace.org.

  1. Personal Statement
    Tell us a little about yourself, including your technical background as it relates to your Makership proposal.
  2. Personal Impact
    How will receiving the Milwaukee Makerspace Makership, and the resources it provides, contribute to your goals as a maker?
  3. Project Proposal
    Provide an overview of your project. What do you plan to do with your Makership?
  4. Project Timeline
    Create a project plan with milestones for your progress. Be as detailed as possible.

FAQ

Q: What if 2-3 people work together for a great project? Would that be accepted even though the Makership goes to 1 person?

A: Collaboration is fine! But, the Makership is only awarded to 1 person, so the application should be written by whomever is the PI (principal investigator) on the project. However as a member, you will have a key for 24×7 access to the space and can bring two guests at a time (as outlined in our membership agreement <http://milwaukeemakerspace.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/member_agreement.pdf>) to assist you with your project.

Q: If I am awarded the Makership and need help with my project, can I ask for other members’ help or will that disqualify me?

A: We encourage you to ask for help (from anyone, and at any point in the project) as the Milwaukee Makerspace values collaboration. It's common for members to help each other out, and as a fellow member, we're here to help you out.

Q: Is there a limit on how much I can spend? If I find a company to sponsor me, but keep the final project open, would that be allowed?

A: Nope, there’s no limit to how much additional funds you want to spend on the project. Spend as much of your own personal money or sponsored money as you need. Individual members may also be willing to help with funding or acquiring materials. (Some of us are quite skilled at acquiring materials!)

Q: Will the final project be taken apart for review of all internals or is it a work / fail project?

A: It’s a work / fail project. But if it works, we’d appreciate you showing us how it works. Ideally, you will be excited to show us how it works, as well as to write up instructions/information we could share with the world.

Q: Are there any limitations to size, power requirements, weight, etc?

A: There are limitations, but these will be determined by the scope of the project. If limitations become apparent in the proposal review, we can communicate them to the applicant and make changes as needed.

Q: Must the project be displayed onsite?

A: Not necessarily. But, the maker community values open sharing of knowledge. So, we would hope you would be willing to share your project through documentation, photos, blog posts, etc.

If you have additional questions, please email them to:makership@milwaukeemakerspace.org

Makership Committee

The committee consists of the following members:

  • Pete Prodoehl
  • Brant Holeman
  • Jason Gessner
  • Joe Buck

The committee will be in charge of the initial review of all applications, and the process of choosing the applicant to be awarded the Makership.

The committee will present to the group the various applicants either during a weekly meeting or another scheduled meeting. We want feedback from everyone who is interested in the Makership program to have a voice.

miscellaneous/makershipproposal.1336012523.txt.gz · Last modified: 2012/05/03 02:35 by raster