Program Spotlights
Talent Maker City (TMC)
Talent Maker City’s mission is to build a more connected and prosperous community through hands-on creativity and STEAM-based education. We are a women led, community makerspace and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in downtown Talent in Southern Oregon. Areas of service include workforce development for youth and unemployed adults, equitable and inclusive programming for underserved youth, small business support through innovative learning and community building through creative cultural exchange.
Talent Maker City offers a variety of hands-on, out-of-school programming for K-12 youth with a goal to create student interest in STEAM and CTE pathways. TMC’s trauma-informed, collaborative, COVID-safe workshops help meet students; social needs while providing quality hands-on learning opportunities. By exposing students to robotics, woodworking, painting, or metalsmithing, TMC fills a niche in the community by providing accessible and equitable skills applicable to high wage, high demand jobs. Most programming is developed in collaboration with Phoenix-Talent Schools Migrant Ed Parent Advisory Committee as an effective and equitable approach to meeting children’s needs, honoring their circumstances, and acknowledging their social and cultural priorities.
Talent Maker City has been an instrumental resource for Southern Oregon communities in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and devastating 2020 Almeda fire. From their partnership with Asante to build ventilator parts with 3D printers for local hospitals to teaching students how to build beds for families who lost their homes in the Almeda fire, their goal is to bring the community together by engaging learners of all ages in community service. TMC’s bustling
makerspace in downtown Talent consists of a full woodshop, ceramics, laser, 3D printers, CNC machines, welding, fiber arts, and screen printing spaces.
Participating in the bus project over the past months has been extremely gratifying! Through this opportunity I was able to participate in the community more, really helping out a family in
need. As well as learn lots of other practical building skills I’ll be able to use in the future.”