L ancasterLibrary

04/26/2018

Sandra & Marco Johnson

Founders
Sandra and Marco Johnson
44055 Sierra Hwy
Lancaster, CA 93534

Dear Sandra & Marco Johnson :

The Lancaster Library is pleased to present this proposal for your review. We hope to partner
with you to provide a technology makerspace within the Lancaster Library, which will be called
the Pioneer Makerspace. As the CEO and CFO of the University of Antelope Valley, we are
certain that you recognize the importance of education. With companies and organizations such
as Edwards Air Force Base, China Lake Naval Weapons, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop
Grumman being major employers of our community, it is important that current and future
students are prepared in the areas of technology and critical thinking. With children in grades 5
through 8 making up 22% and those in grades 9-12 making up 25% of the current students in
Lancaster alone, 47% of our community are students who are either currently thinking about
their future educational goals or will be thinking about them soon. Technology is a definite
forerunner in today’s society, but students often lack the financial resources to access certain
forms of technology.

The object of the Pioneer Makerspace is to allow students to access (with supervision) an area of
the library that will be dedicated to different forms of technology, which include: a 3-D printer,
two iMac computers, two upper model PC computers, software, tables, and chairs. Our proposal
requests $9,668 in funding to obtain the software, hardware, and training the necessary training
to equip the librarians and other staff. We appreciate the Sandra & Marco Foundation taking an
interest in helping the students in our community discover the marvels of technology, while also
encouraging them to strive for future educational goals. We would also like to thank you for your
explanation of what types of funding proposals you accept and that there is no official
application to submit.

Please give me a call at 661-948-5029 if you require any further information or have any
questions concerning this proposal.

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Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Santiful
Lancaster Library
601 W Lancaster Blvd
Lancaster, CA 93534

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 Pioneer Makerspace

Submitted to: The Sandra & Marco Foundation

Date: April 26, 2018

Stephanie Santiful
East Carolina University Student acting on behalf of the Lancaster branch of the County of
Los Angeles Public Library
Lancaster Library
601 W Lancaster Blvd
Lancaster, CA 93534
661-948-5029

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Pioneer Makerspace

Project Abstract

The Lancaster Library is seeking a grant to fund the Pioneer Makerspace, which will be
located inside a dedicated room at the Lancaster Library. This technology-based
makerspace will encourage students within the Antelope Valley community to foster
creative ideas and collaborate with one another on solving community problems. The object
is to support and strengthen student engagement with technology and with their community.
It is our hope that with this makerspace, students will be inspired to further advance their
education once they’ve graduated and may even consider the University of Antelope Valley
as their choice for college enrollment. Funding in the amount of $9,668 is requested for
hardware, software, furniture, and staff and volunteer training.

Statement of Need

The City of Lancaster is home to a total of 3,622 middle schoolers and 7,192 high schoolers
enrolled in public schools. This is a total of 10,814 students located in Lancaster alone.
With a crime index of 20 (out of 100 with 100 being the safest) and a total of 4,637 crimes
(including violent and property) taking place each year, it is up to our community to ensure
that our children take advantage of the benefits that technology and education can provide.
Currently, the dropout rate in Lancaster is 19%. Although this number may not seem
extremely high, when you consider that the population is 160,106 that means that 30,420
individuals are school dropouts. Our goal is to prevent this number from raising by
encouraging students to express interest in technology and open communication with their
peers as well as certain adults. In teaching children to learn and enjoy technology and its
capabilities, we can inspire them to stay in school and to enroll in college after they
graduate high school.

Program Description

The Pioneer Makerspace will enable middle and high school students within Lancaster and
the Antelope Valley to interact with technology, foster ideas, collaborate, and work to
improve the community. Students using this innovative makerspace will be able to utilize
different forms of technology that may otherwise not be accessible due to their expense.
Included in the Pioneer Makerspace will be two iMac computers, two higher-end PC
computers, a 3-D printer and furniture (including tables and chairs). Funds will be allotted
for ensuring that staff know how to operate all software and hardware. When in operation,
the Pioneer Makerspace will have at least one staff member or adult volunteer supervising
patron interaction with the software and/or hardware to eliminate any instances of misuse.

Currently, our library already has different programs that allow our children and teen
patrons to interact with technology. Some of these programs include: STEM Think Tank:
ART (science, technology, engineering, art, and math), Tech Teens, Build and Explore, and
Teens & STEM. These programs are all successful and have high patron registration and
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involvement. We believe adding this makerspace will encourage even more patrons to have
an interest in technology and other STEM/STEAM areas.

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Goals & Objectives

The goal of the Pioneer Makerspace is to enable students within the Antelope Valley to
interact with technology that they may not otherwise have access to. It is also to
encourage students within the community to collaborate with their peers to find ways to
service their community. One of the major goals of the Pioneer Makerspace is to present
a community issue or problem for students and then have them work together to solve the
issue while using the resources provided inside the Pioneer Makerspace. In doing this,
we believe that students will see the value and importance of education, which will
encourage them to stay

Research from a study conducted by YOUmedia at the Chicago Public Library shows
that students who use makerspaces:

• Feel a sense of safety, community, and belonging

• Express greater involvement with their chosen interests
• Improve at least one digital media skill
• Improve academic, communication and writing skills,
• Have a better understanding of opportunities after high school

The table below indicates the timeline we intend to follow with presenting the
makerspace for patron use.

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 Pioneer Makerspace Timeline

Activity Tentative Date Actual Date

Submit Grant Proposal May, 2018

Expected Grant Notification September, 2018

Obtain Hardware and Software October, 2018

Obtain Furniture October, 2018

Training for Librarians and Staff November, 2018

Develop Pioneer Makerspace December, 2018

Programs
Publish Pioneer Makerspace January, 2018
Programs on Library’s Website
Prepare Results Report January, 2019

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 Budget

The budget includes funds for two iMac computers, two higher-end PC computers, one
3-D computer, four tables, four chairs, four sitting benches, printing material for the 3-
D printer, and training for library staff. This will provide four independent work
stations as well as ample space for students to build and collaborate. Any additional
resources will be provided by funds allocated from the Lancaster Library. Due to the
size of the room we have designated as the makerspace and the hours of operation of
the library, we believe this setup to be adequate.

Price Quantity Total

Dremel DigiLab 3D45 3D Printer $1,800 $1,800

Week Long Training for 3D Printer Use (including $300 $300

unlimited online technical support)
Apple iMac 21-inch Computer $1,249 2 $2,498

Dell Inspiron 23.8 All-in-One Touch-Screen Computer $1,049 2 $2,098

OFM Axis Series Benches Axis Triple Bench - Black $289 4 $1,156

Laminate Utility Table - Medium $189 2 $378

Laminate Utility Table - Long $189 2 $378

Officer Task Chair $145 4 $580

Dremel PLA 3D Printer Filament (All colors) $24 20 (2 of each $480

color)
$9,668 Total

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Evaluation
To evaluate the successfulness of the program, we will require those who use the Pioneer
Makerspace to log in with the library card. We will also participate in outreach with area
schools and school libraries to see if there are in any improvements in homework, classwork,
and grades, especially when the subject deals with technology, math, science, or any other
STEM related topics. We will also work closely with the city government to create a list of city
issues that we will ask users of the Pioneer Makerspace to try to solve. Resolving these issues
will be another way that we will evaluate the use of the makerspace. Our overall goal for the
Pioneer Makerspace is for children and teens in the community to not only enhance their skills
and education, but to make their community a better place for the citizens who live here.

Staff and Organizational Information

The library has three full-time librarians, two part-time librarians, one library director and a host
of volunteers. All librarians will be fully trained to operate all equipment located inside the
Pioneer Makerspace. Adult volunteers will also be fully trained as one or more of them will be
required to monitor the Pioneer Makerspace when a librarian is unable to do so. We support the
teens of the community and will also train them to help their peers. However, no teen will be
left on their own to monitor the Pioneer Makerspace until they are a legal adult. Stephanie
Santiful, the librarian at your university who has recently become a volunteer at the Lancaster
Library, has graciously offered to be trained and to offer her skills and services to help monitor
the makerspace during her volunteer hours should this application be accepted for funding.

Closing

We would like to thank you for taking the time to consider this application for funding of the
Pioneer Maker space at the Lancaster Library branch of the County of Los Angeles Public
Library. As one of the cornerstones of the community, we hope to provide children and adults
of the community with the resources needed to be successful in their endeavors. Thank you for
being an integral part of the Antelope Valley.