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making@stanford

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The act of creating physical artifacts — making things — plays a special role in human learning. By integrating thinking and doing, we deepen our intellectual connection to problems, and we catalyze our creativity.

Two maker students talking

Dozens of making courses across 5 schools

Three maker students

Courses overseen by 10 departments

Teacher and students in making space

20 unique maker spaces across campus

About the making@stanford initiative

Stanford has always had a vibrant making culture. In fact, our founding grant specifically mentions mechanical training. Some of the most visible spaces — such as the Product Realization Lab, our flagship makerspace — sit in the School of Engineering. But Stanford offers dozens of making courses across five schools and 20 unique spaces for teaching the design and making process, overseen by more than 10 different departments.

However, currently only one in five Stanford undergraduate students experiences physical design and making in their academic program. We’re constrained by limited staff, materials, equipment, space and sharing resources.

We have a vision to give every Stanford student the opportunity to have a meaningful experience with making. We can realize this vision by supporting and expanding the critical people that mentor our student makers, by creating accessible making courses in more disciplines, and by sharing essential resources. See our current courses, spaces and projects.

two men soldering

We have a vision to give every Stanford student the opportunity to have a meaningful experience with making.

Steve Collins

“Something that’s really unique about Stanford is just how much interdisciplinary education happens among our undergraduate students. Our students explore. They try different things. And learning by making — learning by using your hands — is a unique way of accessing the material.”

Steve Collins, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Your support is vital

The making@stanford initiative will unleash the full potential of our making culture, by increasing capacity, building connections among the makerspaces, modernizing tools and techniques, and expanding the curriculum. Our exceptional educators in the arts, humanities, science, and engineering are deeply committed to physical design and making as a fundamental part of the Stanford experience. The support of our alumni and other friends will be vital in helping us fully realize our vision.