Making a Makerspace at Mercer Elementary

The Challenge

Something was missing at Mercer Elementary. The school was lacking a space for real-world innovation – a space where students could tinker with cutting-edge technology and collaborate on projects. “We wanted to build a space to have kids think differently,” Darcy Bien, the school’s PTA project lead, said.

The plan, officials decided, was to transform the existing media center into a state-of-the-art makerspace. But it was going to be tough. The space “…did not allow for the level of flexibility and collaboration that is required for students in the 21st century,” Guy Frye, Mercer’s Media Specialist said.

Plus, it lacked proper storage, easy-to-move furniture and workspace suitable for big, sometimes messy projects.

The Solution

Mercer Elementary before and after makerspaceThe Mercer team knew they’d need outside experts in 21st century learning spaces to help craft their vision – and School Outfitters was the obvious choice.

“In creating a makerspace, the goal should be to furnish a space that best fits the team’s vision for activities that will take place there,” School Outfitters President and CEO Tom Brennan said. “So first, we needed to understand the Mercer team’s needs and expectations before we could make recommendations about furniture and equipment.”

School Outfitters’ Market Researcher Greg Nelson met with Mercer officials for nearly a year to develop a makerspace requirements list. He conducted surveys, focus groups and even interviews with teachers, students and parents.

This research was all a part of School Outfitters’ Learning Environment Action Plan, or LEAP – a unique, five-step process the company uses to turn the customers vision into a reality.

“Our research showed the makerspace needed a variety of workspace options for different types of maker activities,” Brennan said. This included workbench tables for standing projects, mobile collaborative tables for group work, and mobile soft seating for solo study or informal gatherings. In addition, it was important the space have ample storage solutions and display areas for finished projects.

Learniture classroom furniture, a School Outfitters exclusive, fit the bill. After structural renovations, experts outfitted the space with Learniture’s mobile collaborative tables, easy-to-clean vinyl soft seating and adjustable-height stools, plus a 30-bay laptop storage cart. And, mobile shelving units provided an easy solution to the storage problem.

The Impact on Learning

Today, the makerspace is becoming “…a very kinetic area of our school,” Frye said, with students “kneeling, standing, sitting, laying down, all working together and moving around efficiently.”

Learniture’s collaborative tables and mobile soft seating make student teamwork (or individual planning) a breeze. The adjustable-height planning tables give students ample space to stand and work comfortably. Tools and materials are kept safe and organized in the mobile shelving units, and laptops and tablets are always up and running thanks to the mobile charging cart.

“The flexibility and mobility of all the furniture allows the space to evolve into the needs of the project,” Frye said.

Mercer Elementary makerspace

Students now have ownership over their learning environment, and are excited to experiment in the new space. “We see [students] programming robots, flying drones, building prototypes, working together on the engineering design process to solve problems,” Frye said. “We think the benefit is, students get to experience what it’s like in the real world.”

Learn more about the Mercer Elementary makerspace project in this video case study.

Sponsored by: School Outfitters.

Featured

  • AP Construction Breaks Ground on Two Projects for Austin ISD

    Adolfson & Peterson Construction (AP) recently announced that it has broken ground on two renovation projects for the Austin Independent School District, according to a news release. The work at McCallum and Anderson High Schools totals 97,350 square feet and is scheduled for completion in January 2027.

  • Ancient Resilience: How Indigenous Intelligence Shapes the 4Roots Education Building

    As climate change intensifies, educational spaces must evolve beyond basic sustainability toward true resilience – we must design environments that can adapt, respond, and thrive amid shifting, and intensifying, climate hazards. Drawing on indigenous wisdom and nature-based strategies, integrating resilient design offers a path to create learning environments that are not only functional but deeply in tune with their natural surroundings.

  • Creating Long-Term Sustainability on College Campuses Through Fair Student Housing

    The quality of student housing can have a significant impact on an individual’s college experience. Today’s higher education institutions face mounting challenges, including declining enrollment, low retention rates between the first and second years, and a rise in student mental health concerns. Thoughtfully designed living spaces can help address these issues by creating environments that promote both academic focus and personal well-being.

  • Texas K–12 District to Build New Elementary, High Schools

    The High Island Independent School District on the Bolivar Peninsula in Southeast Texas recently announced that construction on a new elementary school and a new high school will begin in January 2026, according to local news. Funding will come from a $27.9-million bond passed in May 2025.

Digital Edition