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In the early 2010s, makerspaces became a popular buzzword in education. Driven by lower costs and greater access to digital fabrication tools, there was a rise in the value placed on craftsmanship, “tinkering,” and building physical objects.  In school settings, a push for K-12 STEM/STEAM in curricula became the norm. Collaborative, high-tech labs, art studios, and traditional workshops popped up in many forms, public and private, for adults and children alike.

NICHOLE GRONVOLD ROLLER

The average lifespan of makerspaces typically doesn’t exceed five years due to their reliance on grants or membership dues.  River City Labs in Peoria has been ongoing for an impressive 11 ½ years.  The 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization is run by volunteers, with a board of 11 team members who serve a maximum of three years for a given position, encouraging new people to step into the role and be involved.

The laboratory started in a small space in downtown Peoria. Then in 2018, as the makerspace grew in popularity, it moved to a larger location off Pioneer Parkway at 7916 N. Hale Ave. in North Peoria.  With a current membership of 226, talk of further expansion may be an option.

The space hosts an array of activities reflecting its philosophy of being a “community of makers, hackers, tinkerers, and creators who share a physical space, tools, and thoughts.” RCL offers different membership levels with monthly dues that go toward paying rent and maintaining the machines.

“You can get as little or as much as you want out of this, so you desire,”  long-time member and River CIty Labs Education Officer Jeep Johnson explained during a recent tour.

If you choose the latter, you will receive a lot.

The memberships range from a small commitment to full membership. Benefits increase as you move up, including 24/7 access to the building, tools, online private chat community (Slack), and opportunities to build friendships and share ideas. Plans span from digital at $5 to starving at $30, full at $45, and family at $55.

“A large part of our members are what we call financial backers, some of which I have not seen in three years. They are paying their membership dues to financially support us because they believe in what this stands for,” says Johnson.

Jeep Johnson

“The legacy-style members were part of the start-up, but some have either moved on, some even out of state, and that’s their contribution to keep this place running.”

Every Thursday, there is an open house from 6-10 p.m., and a tour of the facility at 7 p.m.

“We have groups that come every Thursday,” Johnson continued, “and this is their social time; they may not do much, project-wise, though they occasionally do.”

Many members use this time to give each other advice on projects they are working on and to gather solutions to problems, often with someone present who has expertise in a given area. Many bring food and drinks to share; grilling is common on these evenings.

A newer member, designer Andrew Craig (andrewcraigdesign.com), is just approaching his first anniversary at River City Labs. He learned about the space on
r/Peoria subreddit on Reddit.

“I was going through a stagnant creative period and needed to try something new and challenge myself,” Craig shared, “and after I took a tour and thought about it for a little while, I decided to join and have no regrets.

“I really enjoy learning new processes and trying new tools and techniques, and that is hard to do with the space I have at home, so having access to 3D printers, a laser cutter, a heat press, and all these things I am interested in has been so great.

“We have an open house and a lot of members usually show up to hang out,” Craig continued, “and it tends to be a really fun time to just see what everyone is working on.

River City Labs is located at 7916 N. Hale Ave. in North Peoria

“Everyone there is very passionate and loves to talk about their projects. Jeep is no exception. He is very passionate and is there all the time,” says Craig.

Recently, River City Labs has added a new program that allows students interning in the area the opportunity to enroll in a short-term membership.

Jones explained that this new plan “is a discounted price because interns are used to their makerspace at school and then come to the area for an internship, and now they are in a strange city and don’t know what to do.”

The makerspace in Peoria provides visiting interns with similar full-time memberships with a few changes: one must provide evidence of a local internship within seven days and be subject to a 30-day probationary period for full access to the building.

River City Labs

Interested individuals can easily join River City Labs by visiting the website or attending a Thursday open house, where staff will guide them through the process and answer questions.

More information about memberships and details of resources: Lasers, 3D Printers, Wood Shop, Metal Shop, Electronics Lab, Blacksmith Shop,  Computer Lab, Crafting, and  Private Chat at River City Labs can be found at https://rivercitylabs.space/