Frequently Asked Questions

A makerspace is a physical location for individuals from all different backgrounds and professions gather to collaborate, socialize, work on projects, and make things. More than 350 makerspaces worldwide have registered with hackerspaces.org, the official website for makerspaces / hackerspaces. Some have been established for several years, while some are still in the early planning stages– like us! As a part of the larger hackerspace community, we are part of a growing movement to expand, rethink, and refactor technology in a creative and interesting ways. Being a part of the large, worldwide hackerspace community allows our organization the ability to expand and connect with like minds globally, from collaborating on projects to attending and supporting virtual and physical events sponsored by other makerspaces.

The term hacker has a pretty bad reputation these days. We are working to change that. Hackers, by our definition, are people who are interested in learning all they can about the fields that interest them, explore the bounds of those interests, and create new and interesting ways to apply that knowledge. We are looking for hackers of all kinds, with diverse backgrounds and interests. There are no requirements for background knowledge. You do not need to be an expert in any given area of computing, science, mathematics, or art. In order for such an environment to thrive, we do require, at minimum, honesty, respect, and an open-mind.

Come to our meetings! Help us out in our early stages of development. We are relying on the support of those who wish to see a hackerspace in the southeast Massachusetts area. Once we have a physical location, we will welcome equipment donations that are useful to our members and our space. You will soon find a list of items we are currently looking to acquire on our wiki. You can also donate to the start-up fund for the SCIL Space. All donations will go towards obtaining a physical space.

24×7 access to the physical space
Invitation to every hackerspace event (classes, parties, outings)
Discounted or free classes and workshops (minus materials fees)
Dedicated space to keep your personal projects and equipment
Access to meeting space (conference room) to hold meetings, free of charge
Discounts to local organizations that have partnered with us
Voting rights for where money should be spent, how the space should look, and other general decisions made by the group
Non-dues paying participants are welcome to attend meetings, visit the hackerspace during open hours, and participate in workshops and events scheduled to the public.

If the idea of a makerspace interests you, we welcome you to become involved in our new community. We are in the early stages of development, and we do not currently have a physical location. We are looking for prospective members to devote free time to helping with the following: Forming the organization (non-profit corp), Researching physical locations, contacting landlords and realtors for showings Setting up technical and organizational infrastructure Promotion – fliers, outreach, media: designers needed! Recruiting – potential members & local business sponsorships Show & Tell – come to our meetups and share your existing or upcoming projects and ideas. Give a Presentation – if you have presentations over 15 minutes, Contact us. We’ll allot a time slot for you at an upcoming meeting.

Once we have established a physical location, members who are passionate about supporting the organization and utilizing the physical location will be asked to pay dues of $30-50/month, TBD. Discounted memberships will be available for students, employees of sponsoring businesses, etc. Dues payments are not required to visit or participate in hackerspace workshops or events. Dues-paying members will enjoy additional benefits for supporting the sustenance of the makerspace.