Inclusion by Design

Maker competencies are critical for courses in every discipline. Within the scope of higher education, many individuals have the perspective that makerspaces involve all STEM disciplines, yet making is a crucial aspect of work in the humanities, the arts, education, and the social sciences. Developing an inclusive practice to attract and retain faculty and students from all areas is critical to the success of a makerspace. When we set out to create the MakerLab at Boise State University, we designed the space with inclusion and equity in mind. Through our process of working with history and philosophy faculty through the Maker Literacies grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), we were also able to help create a new competency incorporating the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion so that these principles could be more broadly acknowledged and adopted by other makers.