Currently Modesto Junior College houses the Innovation Center, a place where every student gets to utilize machines ranging from 3D printers to laser cutters completely free of charge, with dedicated student workers providing guidance and making sure the machines are in peak condition. After April, this center will no longer be accessible to all students and will instead have its use limited to a select few students who's classes require use of the Innovation Center.

Without the Innovation Center, many other students and I lose a space to create and explore ideas beyond our classrooms. It is one of the only places on campus that provides us with the tools needed to fully express our creativity. Taking that away from us doesn't just remove a room, it removes opportunities for students like me to grow, learn, and discover what we are truly are capable of.
 

The Innovation Center offers students access to state-of-the-art technology and resources that make students' already difficult experience more manageable and engaging. Without this space, many students may never have the opportunity to use equipment of this caliber, considering that these machines cost thousands of dollars, which is simply out of reach for the average student. This unique environment fosters innovation and community, where students from different majors can collaborate and share their ideas.

Limiting access to the Innovation Center would have detrimental effects on the student body, hindering students' educational and professional development, as well as limiting their personal expression. Multiple classes on campus require the Innovation Center for their projects, such as our art students who come in with end-of-the-year projects where they get to 3D print the models they have created, or our calculus students who 3D print functions to better visualize what they're really calculating. Furthermore, our clubs on campus rely on our center to be able to print stickers, buttons, and even t-shirts to help promote their club and get their members more involved by being able to create this memorabilia. Without these facilities being available to all students, this will cause our clubs to outsource this work to different companies and potentially pay out of pocket for something that should be readily available for them to use.

Moreover, with the Innovation Center only accessible to engineering students, it means that all troubleshooting, repairing, and teaching for the machines rely on volunteer work from already busy engineering students and professors. When the Innovation Center is accessible for everyone, there are dedicated student workers ready to inform anyone who comes in how to properly use the machines and make sure that everything in the center runs as smoothly as possible.

To ensure that students continue to benefit from this essential resource, we request that the Innovation Center remains open and accessible to all students. By signing this petition, you stand with us in supporting continuous access to the Innovation Center at Modesto Junior College and securing a future full of creativity, innovation, and success for all students.