Bathurst, New Brunswick – Something exciting is taking place in New Brunswick, and the Bathurst Makerspace is thrilled to be a part of it!
On Friday, September 25, 2026, TeXplore – an initiative led by UNB’s McKenna Institute – brought partners and organizations from across New Brunswick together in Sussex, including Ampere The TeXplore Partner Day offered a wonderful space to share ideas, reflect on highlights from the past year, and collaborate on building unique activities for students during the 2026/27 school calendar.
As a special treat we were given a private tour of the Saber STEAM Studio, a beautiful new Makerspace located inside Sussex Elementary School. From 3D printers to a Lego wall, the facility is sure to spark creativity in the local youth and families!
The TeXplore program is dedicated to bringing free and interactive STEAM-centred programming to students across the province during Professional Learning Days by facilitating engaging, hands-on activities while their teachers and educators continue to grow their skills and knowledge base to further benefit their classrooms.
This is achieved through working closely with a network of experts and organizations, building partnerships for program delivery in various community spaces throughout New Brunswick.
Earlier this year, the Bathurst Makerspace facilitated one of their pilot events, where our registered learners learned basic coding and programming skills through tools like Micro:bits and Makey Makeys. Thanks to TeXplore, all learners enjoyed a free pizza lunch, and transportation costs to remove barriers for some learners.
Throughout the day, partners enjoyed presentations from representatives of the McKenna Institute, Promise Partnership, and Dell Canada. We also reviewed the program and schedule for the next year, and participated in conversations to refine, then define potential next steps toward our collective key goals.
It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with others in the province who are working toward the same vision: to bring free and accessible STEAM education opportunities to communities across the province. We were able to brainstorm ways to expand our reach and efforts, ensuring that students across New Brunswick have equitable access to explore and create.
The Bathurst Makerspace is proud to work in partnership with TeXplore, to continue offering free PL Day programming, and to become a central hub where we’ll welcome other guest educators and organizations in the TeXplore network to deliver STEAM activities to youth in our community!
Stay tuned for registration details and announcement dates for the upcoming 2026–2027 TeXplore Professional Learning Day sessions. You can learn more about our local activities and upcoming programs by visiting the Bathurst Makerspace Calendar.
