Students Launch Makerspace at Pennsylvania University

When Alvernia University students started working with local entrepreneurs, they noticed a problem worth solving. Small businesses needed custom products and prototypes, but traditional vendors required order minimums many couldn't afford.

So the students advocated for something better. On October 13, Alvernia's O'Pake Institute opened O'Make Space, a student-operated makerspace inside the university's Spark Business Incubator in Reading, Pennsylvania.

The space gives undergraduate and graduate students access to professional equipment including two 3D printers, a laser engraver, heat press, sublimation printer, embroidery machine, and Cricut cutting tools. Students can work with metal, wood, plastic, vinyl, and paper to create everything from custom apparel to promotional merchandise and product prototypes.

But this isn't just a workshop. Students manage the entire process from initial client meetings through design, production, and delivery. They're building technical skills while gaining real business experience with actual paying customers.

"When you walk into this room, you'll see machines, equipment and tools, but what makes this space special is not the equipment itself. It's the opportunity it creates," said Aracelis Amador-Rivera, an MBA candidate at Alvernia. "It's a place where curiosity becomes creativity, mistakes become lessons and ideas grow into meaningful projects."

The student-driven approach means emerging entrepreneurs finally have an affordable option for small production runs. A startup needing 20 custom water bottles or a local nonprofit wanting 50 promotional tote bags can now get what they need without ordering hundreds.

High school interns through the university's EmpowerEd program also work in the space, giving younger students early exposure to entrepreneurship and manufacturing technology. They collaborate across age groups and academic disciplines, learning from each other while serving their community.

The Ripple Effect

O'Make Space strengthens the entire Greater Reading business ecosystem. Local entrepreneurs get affordable prototyping services they couldn't access before. Students graduate with portfolio-ready projects and professional client management experience. The community benefits from more small businesses successfully launching and growing.

University President Glynis Fitzgerald emphasized how the space embodies experiential learning. Students develop confidence working with real technology, real projects, and real clients while creating meaningful opportunities to serve their neighbors.

The space evolved directly from student feedback and advocacy. As they worked with more clients and explored new technologies, students identified gaps in available resources and pushed for expanded capabilities. The university listened and invested in their vision.

Now those students are proving that education works best when it connects directly to community needs. Every custom order they fulfill strengthens a local business while building their own professional future.

Young people are learning that good ideas matter most when they help others succeed.