Every year in early March, a crowd of students, faculty, staff and community members both young and old descend on Penfield Library for Maker Madness, a free event celebrating science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics (STEAM) and the joy of making things themselves.

With the 2025 edition scheduled for 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, the event is held on or near International Women’s Day, to highlight women’s contributions in those areas. While much of the audience consists of families with young children, anyone interested in trying their hand at making something for fun is welcome and encouraged to attend.

At Maker Madness 2024, attendees could make their own lava lamps and electrical greeting cards, learn to knit or experiment with how well structures made of blocks could withstand an earthquake. The crew from WTOP-10 TV’s first-ever all-women-run sports broadcast was there showing how the TV magic works, alongside makers from ARISE, a central New York group that works with volunteers to create custom accessibility aids for people with disabilities.

This year’s event on Saturday, March 8, already has local makers signed up to share a cardboard marble maze activity, fashion upcycling, geometric structures made from soap bubbles and more. Christina Vasquez, director of SUNY Oswego’s Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP), says she’s been organizing CSTEP students to run a table at Maker Madness for several years now. She loves the way Maker Madness lets CSTEP Scholars connect with and inspire young children.

“We typically do a fun station with some kind of hands-on activity that is focused on STEM. Examples over the years include making bouncy balls (polymer science), DNA bracelets (genetics), famous women scientist coloring pages, etc.,” Vasquez said. “It's pretty cool to think that these kids are sitting down with future scientists, researchers, doctors, lawyers, engineers and everything in between. A lot of [CSTEP Scholars] come from big families and miss that connection, so this is a great chance for them to have fun in a way that reminds them of home. We always get a positive response from volunteer students who participate.”

Penfield Library Director Sarah Weisman emphasized how important it is to bring K12 students onto campus and into Penfield Library. “This is a positive early exposure to a hub of learning and rich information resources on our campus,” she said, explaining that while local young folks may have been on campus for a summer camp or athletic event, they may not have visited the library before. “Participating in fun, hands-on educational activities in the library can inspire kids to envision themselves as creators, scholars and as future college students.”

Community collaboration

Maker Madness is organized by the local Zonta Club in collaboration with SUNY Oswego’s Penfield Library. Jennifer Joyce, who heads Zonta’s work on the event, says that Maker Madness is a perfect match for Zonta’s goals of promoting education, empowering women and girls and engaging with the community. Zonta Club and the library have been collaborating on this annual event since 2016.

“My favorite part about Maker Madness is watching the youth of the community visit each of the maker tables, creating trinkets and learning about STEAM activities,” Joyce said. She also expressed her appreciation for the Maker Madness scavenger hunt, which features different historical women each year.

Weisman spotlighted the effort Penfield’s librarians put into creating a thoughtful scavenger hunt incorporating women from all sorts of backgrounds and disciplines, and hiding information about them around Maker Madness. Participants are entered in a drawing to win a Chromebook if they complete the scavenger hunt.

“Librarians spend time developing the scavenger hunt in an intentional way, in order to highlight women from all walks of life and time periods, expanding awareness of women’s amazing accomplishments beyond just the most well-known ones,” Weisman said. Last year’s scavenger hunt featured composer Florence Price, biochemist Katalin Karikó, engineer Mary Golda Ross and more.

“It is my hope that bringing kids and their parents into the library helps to increase students’ overall comfort with libraries and see libraries as welcoming places of discovery and support,” said Weisman. “Academic libraries are collaborative and dynamic places for learning, chock full of resources and friendly and knowledgeable staff, which they’ll get to see firsthand when they visit.”

Maker Madness underscores Penfield Library’s efforts to connect students, faculty, staff and the local community with information and learning -- and each other.

“This event is exciting for all those who attend,” said Joyce, regardless of whether they’re makers or attendees. “There is a place for everyone at Maker Madness.”

Joyce said that it is very rewarding for makers to share their talents with young attendees, and Vasquez agreed, encouraging others to join in and run a station at Maker Madness.

“Do it!,” Vasquez said. “Anyone can participate as we all have some kind of skill or talent we can share. It doesn't have to be big, but if you have a group of people here that want to learn, why not share your knowledge?”

Individuals or clubs who are interested in becoming makers at this year’s Maker Madness should sign up here via this form by Wednesday, Feb. 26. In keeping with libraries’ core mission of providing equitable access to resources for their communities, nothing may be sold at Maker Madness. This keeps the event completely free and open for every attendee to participate in fully. Limited reimbursements for activity supplies are available on a first-come, first-served basis if makers include that need on the signup form.

The library and Zonta Club thanked event sponsors Novelis and Bluum Technology for their support.

-- Submitted by Penfield Library