About

The Hatchery is comitted to providing a space where all students, faculty, and staff members of Boston College can feel welcome. Below are some of our guiding principles, as well as some of our major milestones on this journey

Mission Statement

Core Values

In the spirit of ‘Think to Make for Impact,’ being able to iterate, visualize, refine, and communicate creative design ideas using prototypes is an essential skill set for our students entering the future workforce. The mission of the Boston College (BC) Makerspaces (The Hatchery) is to enable these transformative capabilities, irrespective of background or discipline, by providing an equitable, accessible, and well-equipped community-oriented space for all. Wherever you are on your making and design journey, The Hatchery Makerspaces at Boston College encourages all members of the community to let their ideas fly.

Milestones

Building Blocks

2017

Introducing a Makerspace

The idea of a makerspace at Boston College was first introduced to leadership in 2017. Within the higher education system as a whole, the concept of a makerspace was relatively new, and we wanted to be ahead of the game.

2017

2018

Preparing the Nest

Alongside the design of 245 Beacon St, concept plans for a Boston College makerspace and the development of a Human-Centered Engineering program were underway.

2018

June 2021

New Hires

The first cohort of makerspace student workers was hired! Sadly, 245 Beacon St. was in scaffolds, so we set up camp in the basement of Higgins Hall.

June 2021

August 2021

Naming the Spaces

After a brainstorming session in the basement of Higgins Hall, our name was born. “The Hatchery”… yeah, we like the sound of that.

August 2021

September 2021

Let’s Train Together

The first-ever Tool Training was held for the BC community. Originally, 3D printing, laser cutting, and sewing were the only tool trainings we offered.

September 2021

January 2022

The Big Move

When construction finished on 245 Beacon St., The Hatchery moved into spaces on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Bye, Higgins!

January 2022

June 2022

The Hatchery Bootcamp

Summer 2022 kicked off with the first-ever official Hatchery “Bootcamp” designed to introduce new staff to the spaces. Say hello to twelve new Team Members!

June 2022

June 2023

Our Team Grows

As our user base grew, the Student Team did too! In Summer 2023, The Hatchery hosted its second-ever bootcamp and welcomed over thirty new Team Members.

June 2023

December 2023

Making Across Campus

The Hatchery created its Outreach Team, The CoLab, to bring fun, engaging, and customizable events to Boston College clubs and organizations.