Weekly Facility Tours

131 West Main Street,Orange MA 01364

13 May, 2023

Description

Brief History LaunchSpace, Inc. is a 501(3)(c) nonprofit organization providing non-college opportunities to upskill, collaborate and develop new businesses in Massachuestts’s North Quabbin region of approx. 30,000 residents. Our 13,000 sq.-ft. makerspace facility supports creativity and entrepreneurship in fiber art, painting, printmaking, woodworking, pottery, leather, photography, 3D printing, laser printing and metal working. LaunchSpace has also acquired a vacant 24,000 sq.-ft. school facility, Pleasant Street School (PSS), in partnership with the Town of Athol. Through the redevelopment of the school, LaunchSpace intends to drive the local economy through repurposing the school’s kitchen into a working community kitchen and the classrooms into business incubation suites and/or retail outlets as well as a childcare facility. The LaunchSpace makerspace offers a three-tiered approach to community engagement: workforce development, education, and business incubation. The three-tiered structure forms a replicable approach to economic revitalization within semi-rural, post-industrial communities, which tend to have the highest rates of unemployment, poverty and limited access to economic opportunity. We offer an environment to share creative energy, a classroom for personal learning for all ages, and workforce training for re-entry into the job market. Mission To support innovative economic and community development in our post-industrial, semi-rural community by providing opportunities to explore and develop hands-on skills in support of enhanced personal satisfaction, increased employment value, and business incubation to benefit individuals, schools, businesses and the broader community. How the Makerspace Operates The makerspace is run by volunteers and one paid staff member. Each studio has 1-3 volunteer stewards or managers that are responsible for keeping their studio clean, safe, providing orientations to new members, and equipment training. General volunteers help with administrative tasks, facility maintenance, and special projects and events.