Young Storytellers Meet Young Makers: A Cross-Campus Collaboration

by Alison Earnhart, Acera MakerSpace & Physics Specialist Teacher

This trimester, Acera students experienced a wonderful collaboration that blended imagination, engineering, and community. In the Makerspace elective Makers & Mages, students used their design skills to create custom 3D-printed figures for younger students participating in the afterschool program Jr. Roleplaying.

Makers & Mages, taught by Ms. Alison, is a Dungeons & Dragons–inspired makerspace class where students build skills through a system of “quests,” earning experience points (XP) and leveling up across different areas such as sewing and textiles, laser cutting, electronics, and digital fabrication. Throughout the trimester, many students developed impressive proficiency in computer-aided design (CAD), using advanced software to build detailed 3D models.

At the same time, Mr. Dylan has been leading Jr. Roleplaying, an afterschool enrichment program for Acera’s youngest students. In this imaginative class, students invent their own characters and embark on collaborative storytelling adventures inspired by tabletop role-playing games. As part of the experience, the young storytellers drew pictures of the characters they created.

Seeing an opportunity for a meaningful connection between the two groups, Ms. Alison and Mr. Dylan partnered their classes. The younger students’ drawings became creative prompts for the Makers & Mages students, who studied the illustrations and translated them into detailed digital models. Over the course of the trimester, the makerspace students designed, refined, and 3D-printed miniature figures representing the characters imagined by the Jr. Roleplaying students.

For the older students, the project was both technically challenging and deeply satisfying. Interpreting children’s drawings required creativity, problem-solving, and careful attention to detail. Just as importantly, the students knew they were creating something special for younger members of the Acera community.

On Monday, March 2, the collaboration reached its joyful conclusion when each Jr. Roleplaying student received a custom 3D-printed figure of their character. The excitement was immediate—students were thrilled to hold a physical version of the characters they had imagined.

The project highlights the collaborative spirit that defines learning at Acera. By combining storytelling, engineering, and kindness, students experienced how creativity and technical skills can come together to create something truly special for others. Through experiences like this, Acera continues to cultivate not only innovative thinkers and capable makers, but also a community where students of all ages inspire and support one another.