Glendale Community College cut the ribbon on a $7.5M maker center

Glendale Community College opened its STEAMworks Innovation Center on Thursday, a 10,000-square-foot facility built to give West Valley students hands-on time with the tools industry actually uses, ABC15 reports. It holds two main spaces: a virtual and augmented reality room for immersive simulations, and a maker space with 3D printers, drone technology, CNC routers, laser cutters, mills, lathes and welding stations. Dean of Career and Technical Education Dr. Susan Campbell said the point is getting students ready for careers, not just classrooms, whether they are artists or engineers. The project grew from an initial $1 million vision to roughly $7.5 million, funded primarily through grants including a $5 million STEM grant, which Campbell tied to the West Valley's fast-changing employer base.