By Bryan Reid
In the heart of downtown Bathurst, New Brunswick, something powerful is happening at Ampere’s Bathurst Makerspace and Skills Hub.
Children are designing their first 3D models, seniors are building confidence with technology, and families are discovering a place where creativity and community meet. The Bathurst Makerspace and Skills Hub has quickly become more than a local learning space. It’s a community hub for curiosity, connection and opportunity.
“When we opened the makerspace our goal was to provide the community with an inclusive space that welcomes every one, unlocks creativity, inspires innovation and empowers people to explore new possibilities,” says Kath Groomes, Bathurst Makerspace Lead.
For educators and parents like Kristen Doucet, the impact was immediate.
“I heard about Ampere through McKenna Institute training and immediately thought, ‘My littles would love this,’” said Doucet, a K to 1 teacher in Anglophone North School District (ASD-N) and mother of four.
As soon as she walked through the doors, she knew the space was special.
“It felt so welcoming. Creative, hands-on, and organized but still with the freedom for kids to explore at their own pace. I walked in and knew my students were going to be all over it.”
For schools in rural communities, access to these kinds of experiences can be difficult because they don’t typically exist close to home and field trips to larger urban centres are often out of reach, particularly for younger students.
“There are places like this in bigger cities like Saint John and Halifax,” Doucet explained. “But I can’t take K to 1 students that far on a field trip. Having something like this close to home is huge. It makes these experiences accessible and really levels the playing field for rural kids.”
Opportunity and accessibility is exactly what the makerspace was designed to provide to the community of Bathurst and the surrounding area.
Sara Martin, mother of two and an education assistant at Terry Fox Elementary School in Bathurst jumped at the opportunity to enroll her kids in the STEAM Summer Camp last summer.
“I thought it was a great opportunity for my kids to get involved in STEAM because we don’t have any STEAM programming in Bathurst. My kids love science. Science experiments are the number one thing they ask for for Christmas, so I decided to bring them here and it was the most amazing experience.”
Ampere’s approach places learners at the centre, giving them the tools, technology, and confidence to explore ideas and turn them into something real. Whether it’s coding, digital design, robotics, or hands-on creative projects, the space transforms technology from something people consume into something they can actively use to build, make and create.
“Kids know how to scroll, but that’s not digital literacy,” said Doucet. “As teachers, we need to show them that iPads, laptops, and phones can be learning tools for creating, building, and understanding the world they’re growing up in. The Bathurst Makerspace gives them that chance. It turns them from consumers into creators.”
The impact goes far beyond classrooms.
For Emily Doucet (no relation to Kristen), a Seniors Navigator with the Nursing Home Without Walls (NHWW) program, the makerspace represents a future opportunity to bring generations together and help older adults stay connected in a digital world.
“I love what the space has become! It’s welcoming, versatile, and really sparks creativity,” she said. “You can tell a lot of thought has gone into making it feel accessible for everyone.”
NHWW hosts a popular Tech Tuesday program for seniors already, and they’ll be collaborating with the Bathurst Makerspace and Skills Hub on future technology and digital literacy programming for local seniors.
“Not everyone can afford the internet or a computer,” Emily said. “Having access to these tools in a supportive, social space is essential.”
But just as important as the technology is the atmosphere.
“It fills a gap of belonging,” she added. “Sure, there are always places to go for seniors, like Tim Hortons, but those spots don’t offer the same supportive environment with listening ears, meaningful engagement, and the sense of community that the makerspace can provide.”
Families are seeing the difference too.
Lisa Boudreau, a homeschooling parent and the contact person for the Home Educators of New Brunswick (HENB) network of over 400 local families, says the makerspace has quickly become a weekly highlight for her and her family.
“My first impression was the extremely helpful and friendly staff,” she said. “It was clean and well organized, and I was impressed with the variety of educational activities. There was something for everyone.”
For homeschooling families, the biggest benefit is the opportunity for the students to participate in group learning. Group learning can spark creativity in ways that individual learning sometimes cannot.
“As much as my kids are well socialized, the group learning environment has been a key feature in sparking a different type of creativity in my youngest child,” Boudreau said.
The welcoming, safe and inclusive space may be having the biggest impact on children who struggle with confidence or anxiety.
“For us personally, my son suffers with anxiety and is always right by my side,” she said. “But when we walk in the door of the makerspace, he’s gone. Off with his friends and exploring. He feels safe and has no anxiety.”
That sense of comfort and belonging is something many parents have noticed.
“It’s a comfortable space where parents can sit back and sip a tea or coffee while connecting with other families,” Boudreau said. “I’m hearing such positive feedback from parents.”
In communities like Bathurst, where economic challenges can make access to technology difficult, spaces like the Bathurst Makerspace and Skills Hub can also play an important role in preparing young people for the future.
“Bathurst has a high unemployment rate and many families are struggling to afford these kinds of technologies,” Boudreau explained. “Seeing that technology is the future, it’s really setting them up for success in future potential careers.”
For Kristen Doucet, the spark of curiosity she sees in her students says it all.
“When kids walk into the Bathurst Makerspace, their confidence and curiosity instantly light up,” she said.
And for the community as a whole, the potential is just beginning, there is plenty of room for programming to grow for the different groups the space serves.
“It would mean more kids getting experiences that spark curiosity, build confidence, and help them discover what they’re capable of,” Kristen Doucet said. “More ‘I didn’t know I could do that!’ moments and that’s what we want as teachers and parents.”
Emily Doucet sees that same future through the lens of community connection.
“If this space continues to grow, it would mean more connections, more comfort, and a real ‘home away from home’ for many people in Bathurst,” she said.
Sara Martin feels the same way, all she has to do is tell her kids they’re going to the makerspace and they light up.
“The makerspace almost feels like a home away from home. Every time I tell my kids that we’re coming here, they’re so excited it’s unbelievable and I’m excited too,” she said.
From kindergarten classrooms to homeschooling families to seniors learning new digital skills, Ampere’s Bathurst Makerspace and Skills Hub is doing exactly what it was built to do: create opportunity.
And in Bathurst, those opportunities are quickly turning into something bigger; a connected community where curiosity is welcomed, creativity is celebrated, and everyone has a place to learn, build, and belong.
Follow the link to see the programming we have available at the Bathurst Makerspace and Skills Hub.
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Ampere’s Lifecycle
Have you heard about Ampere’s Lifecycle? It illustrates how we support learners in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities at every stage of life and learning. Our Lifecycle includes:
- Advocacy – Showing up for rural, remote, and Indigenous communities
- Mentorship – Amplifying voices and building capacity
- Production – Enabling creators and leaders
- Employment – Developing local, sustainable STEAM careers
- Resources – Providing fair access for all learners
- Education – Delivering hands-on, tech-driven learning
As programming becomes more established, the Bathurst Makerspace and Skills Hub will eventually cover the entire lifecycle: Advocacy, Mentorship, Production, Employment, Resources and Education.