www.woodworklab.com.au
-
for families and individuals
-
www.woodworklab.com.au - for families and individuals -
About Make + Meld
Our Story
Make+Meld started as a children’s design club in a small industrial shed in Yeronga, Brisbane.
The idea was to have somewhere for kids who love making things to learn design principles, along with learning basic tools and techniques, while exploring different materials, being creative, having fun, and hanging out with other like minded makers.
While initially our focus was on all materials including paper, cardboard, wire, acrylic, recyclables, textiles and more, we found that the material that really engaged our students and they couldn’t get enough of, was wood.
Woodwork proved to provide deep engagement for both girls and boys - it’s such an inclusive, unique and rich hands-on experience that provides a sense of responsibility, confidence and achievement (as well as an opportunity to develop grit and resilience)
The Evolution
It didn’t take long before our workshops offering Design Challenges, Design Thinking, and Hands-on Learning caught the attention of educators, and thus the next step in our journey gained momentum - partnering with schools and working with visionary teachers to develop a program that aligns with Curriculum and Inquiry Based Learning in the classroom (thankyou to those teachers who championed us in the early days - you know who you are).
Achieving this required the design of a portable woodworking system and project designs that we would be able to make in bulk using the simple machines in our shed.
Where We Are Today
Today, Make+Meld is the leader in School Design Tech + STEM Incursions - we’ve partnered with 100's of Primary (and Secondary) Schools, The State Library of Queensland, collaborated to bring student designs to life for the World Science Festival, and provided high impact STEM workshops for Science Week celebrations across Brisbane and surrounds!
We are also proud to support our youngest makers - Make+Meld’s Kindy Woodwork Incursions provide the early years with a program dedicated to fostering the development of both fine and gross motor skills while offering engaging opportunities for hands-on STEM learning though woodwork + making!
Empowering Classrooms Across Australia
While we love visiting schools in person, we want every student across Australia to have access to quality maker experiences. That’s why we created our Design + STEM Class Packs and portable Woodwork benches and tools.
These aren't just kits and equipment - they are comprehensive Inquiry-Based Learning resources that make teaching Design Tech and STEM easy for any educator. We provide all the high-quality, sustainable timber and components for every student, along with lesson plans, risk assessments, curriculum links, and step-by-step instructions so you can lead design and maker sessions with confidence, no matter your location.
Helen Bankes
Helen comes from a Sustainability and Education background and has a Bachelor of Environmental Science. Helen loves working with young people and is passionate about instilling the importance of sustainability, creativity, and self-belief with future generations.
Emily Higgins
Emily brings a Bachelor of Industrial Design, along with many years of Arts and Crafts experience to Make&Meld. Additionally, she has experience in cabinetmaking, project management, and interior design. Emily has a real passion for designing and making cool things.
We aim to…
get kids off screens, encourage physical activity, and equip them with valuable practical skills. We are dedicated to fostering the development of both fine and gross motor skills while offering engaging opportunities for hands-on learning. Through our activities, we aim to enhance concentration, instill an appreciation for effort-based rewards, and nurture a sense of accomplishment. Moreover, we strive to reignite imagination, inspire creative thinking and problem-solving abilities, and ultimately build self-confidence in every child we reach.
We believe that…
learning to make things also teaches children about products and their roles as consumers. Learning about different materials gives kids an insight into where things come from and their impact on the environment. Kids realise that they can make and fix their own things rather than purchasing more and more stuff.
Most of all we love the look of pride and confidence on kids’ faces as they gain a new skill, put their ideas into action, work hard to complete their projects and say “I made this myself!”.
Benefits for kids involved in our program
-
Design thinking
Make&Meld's workshops introduce kids to the design-thinking approach giving them skills to problem solve and to come up with creative and innovative ideas and to bring those ideas to life. Using a creative lens for approaching problems, participants will design and create innovative, sustainable and user-friendly products or artworks that they can take home and use to make their life, or the life of others, more enjoyable.
-
Holistic Learning
The engaging and innovative workshops provide a great opportunity for kids to build on cross-curricular holistic learning and to develop skills such as critical thinking, creativity and collaboration while having fun in a supportive environment.
-
Steam
Make&Meld's creative design workshops link art and creative thinking with principles of science, technology, engineering and maths. They make learning fun and provide opportunities to use knowledge and skills in ways that are practical, hands-on and applicable to the real world.
-
Sustainability
With a focus on environmentally responsible use of materials and inquiry into the environmental and social cost of resources, workshops aim to cultivate environmental ethics and explore waste reduction and other environmental issues through the arts.
-
Creativity
Make&Meld's workshops inspire participants to tap into their creativity, to play and to develop hands-on creative design and making skills.
-
Engagement
When participating in our programs kids tend to get completely engaged, get into the flow and live in the present moment.