September 28, 2017 Melissa Lamar

This item was published more than 1 year ago. For a current list of press releases, visit News Archives .

Tunxis Community College in Farmington will host the 3rd Annual Greater Hartford Mini Maker Faire on Saturday, Oct. 7 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The event is free.

The family friendly day of innovation for all ages will include creative projects, demonstrations, hands-on interactive fun, vendors and food trucks. Projects will showcase robotics, 3-D printing, science demonstrations, design, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing and much more.

“I am thrilled that Tunxis can host such an innovative event on our campus,” said Dr. James Lombella, Interim President of Tunxis Community College. “Providing an environment for inventors, thinkers and tech enthusiasts to share and showcase with each other and the community is something our college is happy to be a part of this year.”

Some of the activities and projects include head scans that are used to create computer models, adaptive technology for toddler toy cars and vehicles, a full-size model tiny house, and a presentation on animal mimicry. There will be lots of hands-on activities for all ages, with opportunities to use Arduino boards, participate in computer coding, and make towers with Tunxis engineering students. Several Connecticut Community Colleges and Universities will have industry projects on display including a prosthetic arm, a guitar programmed with an Arduino board, and energy management career information.

For free coffee, tours and a spin on one of their FitDesk bikes, come visit Tunxis Library, a free public resource. Tunxis will also have information available on its credit programs, with Admissions representatives available to answer questions about enrolling for spring semester.

Those who plan to attend can sign up in advance for their free tickets on Eventbrite at: http://bit.ly/2gPVlmc, or at the door. For more information, contact Therese Wallace, 860.244.1950, [email protected].

Maker Faires are community based learning events that create opportunities for conversations with Makers. Tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students and entrepreneurs all come together to show their projects, talk about what they have learned and connect with others.

The Greater Hartford Mini Maker Faire is funded in part by a NSF grant awarded to Tunxis Community College to establish the Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing, a National Science Foundation Center of Excellence. Other sponsors of the event include CBIA, Make: makezine.com, Stanley Black & Decker, and other partners.

Tunxis Community College offers over 60 associate degrees and certificates, including eight associate degrees with science, engineering and technology emphases, and certificates in lean manufacturing and computer aided design. Transfer articulation agreements through the Connecticut College of Technology enable Tunxis students who have graduated from the engineering or technology degree programs to seamlessly transfer their courses to accredited engineering programs at many colleges and universities in Connecticut. For more information on programs at Tunxis, call 860.773.1490, or visit tunxis.edu.