We see making — and breaking — as a fundamental part of our educational ecosystem.

At MIT, we have more than 130,000 square feet of makerspaces across campus, with even more to come. We even have a “Maker Czar” to oversee all this activity.

From electronics to robotics, metalworking to woodworking, jewelry design to glass blowing, every day our students are making.

To advance this mission, all of our first-year undergraduates are invited to the Maker Lodge to safely learn to operate 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC milling machines, and all our other cool tools. Once they get the stamp of approval, students receive MakerBucks, a debit account of $100 to purchase materials and time on the machines of their choosing.

While no one can claim credit for being the place where making first became a thing, we wouldn’t be surprised if MIT was in the running. After all, William Barton Rogers included “mens et manus,” which translates from the Latin to “mind and hand,” in our official seal more than 150 years ago.