CURRENT POSITION Librarian, T. Benton Gayle Middle School, Fredricksburg, VA DEGREE MS, Education, University of New Haven, 2003; Secondary Endorsement, Library Science, University of Virginia, 2008 FAST FACT Sekinger hosted a college radio show called “Terminal Preppie” that wasn’t very popular. FOLLOW instructables.com/member/NSekinger; x.com/SekingerN; bit.ly/VEA-truth-about-school-libraries Photo by Meaghan Sekinger

Maker on a Mission

An early adopter of the makerspace movement, school librarian Nathan Sekinger has been spearheading collaborative and creative learning at T. Benton Gayle Middle School for more than 10 years. 

Sekinger’s makerspace innovations started small—with “toy take apart” projects for students—then adding activities exploring circuits and electronics. The library is now home to a variety of student exercise, play, and discovery spots ranging from stationary bikes to a ping-pong table to tools for invention and STEM learning. 

He also introduced ambitious gardening projects. “It started out in a kind of ramshackle way,” he says, but they have grown with time and grant support. Students now work in an outdoor school garden and with mobile hydroponic grow towers. The products of those gardens contribute to the school cafeteria, culinary classes, and science classes, as well as serving as donations to the community and local food banks. 

It’s Sekinger’s view that “finding and connecting with an authentic audience” for an activity will enhance students’ enthusiasm and commitment. With this in mind, the school’s maker programs are consistently service-oriented, with an ongoing Makers on a Mission club. In recent years, student gardeners have grown and donated hundreds of seed starters to a local farm so that it can grow food for donation. Community networks and local partnerships have proven essential, creating a “variety of opportunities for students to find and embrace what intrigues them,” Sekinger says. 

Whether they are growing vegetables or flying drones, Sekinger’s innovative library makerspace offers them pathways to learning and exploration.