Maker Space Boot Camp
How to Start a Fab Lab or Maker Space from the Ground Up
November 11–13, 2025
Life Skills Academy, Independence, Kansas
(From the founders of Fab Lab ICC)
Why Attend?
On October 1, 2014, Fab Lab ICC opened in a rural southeastern Kansas town of fewer than 10,000 people. In just eight years, it grew into the largest maker space in the world serving communities under 10,000. Alongside other community initiatives, it helped spark meaningful local economic revitalization.
Now, the founders are building on that success with Life Skills Academy (LSA), powered by the Innovative Business Resource Center (IBRC)—a downtown hub that combines a community maker space, entrepreneurship center, and learning/tutoring programs.
This Boot Camp is your opportunity to learn directly from their experience and bring those lessons back to your community.
Download an 8-page excerpt from Southeast Kansas Living (Summer 2022) to share with stakeholders and illustrate the benefits of a Fab Lab or maker space.
See the Mission and Vision of LSA.
What You’ll Gain
Over 2 ½ days, you’ll discover how a maker space can:
- Strengthen entrepreneurial mindset in your community
- Support start-ups and small business growth—well beyond product prototyping
- Engage students, educators, and local organizations in hands-on innovation
- Shift community culture toward creativity, problem-solving, and entrepreneurship
You’ll also get hands-on experience with maker tools—proving you don’t need an engineering degree to use (or manage) a space like this.
Schedule
Morning Sessions
- Tue & Wed: 9:00 AM – 11:50 AM
- Thu: 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Afternoon Maker Lab
- Tue & Wed: After lunch – 5:00 PM
Wrap-up & Q&A Lunch
- Thu: 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM (camp ends at 1:00 PM)
Registration Details
- Register now—pay by card or request an invoice (due November 5).
- Bring a team! Save $200 on each additional participant from your community.
- Fee includes:
-
- Breakfast snacks & lunch all three days
- Dinner Tuesday evening
Bonus: Community Insights
Hear directly from local leaders and stakeholders about how Fab Lab ICC:
- Shifted the area’s mindset toward entrepreneurship
- Contributed to economic vitality and community pride
Practical Info
Click here for directions, hotel, and B&B information.
Questions? Contact:
- Jim Correll, Executive Director, IBRC
620-252-5349 | ✉️ jimc@ibrcenter.org
- Laura Schaid, Director, Life Skills Academy
620-205-9288 | ✉️ lauras@ibrcenter.org
Email version:
Maker Space Boot Camp
November 11–13, 2025 | Independence, Kansas
Learn how to launch a Fab Lab or maker space from the ground up at this 2 ½-day Boot Camp hosted by Life Skills Academy (LSA), founded by the team behind Fab Lab ICC—once the world’s largest maker space in communities under 10,000.
