NearSpace Education is renovating a historic building in hopes to encourage more students to reach for the stars.
NearSpace Education is a nontraditional STEM education company based out of Upland, Indiana. Through summer camps, aerospace clubs, high altitude balloon launches and other activities, the nonprofit allows students to experience the field of aerospace and engineering.
NearSpace Education has previously shared office and activity space with its sister company, NearSpace Launch. However, their shared area is approximately 800 square feet — just large enough to host 12 students during a space camp or workshop. Matthew Voss, NearSpace Education’s board president, said the organization needed more space to keep up with the growing program.
The newly acquired building, located at 33 N. Main St., is a short walk from NearSpace Education’s location. The structure, originally the Masonic Lodge and a vacant building, boasts eight to 10 times as much square footage.
Alex Reno, the organization’s director of outreach and education, and Voss said the building will have many different components.
Construction plans show a large, open area for “maker space,” where students can craft their own technology and practice using high-level equipment such as 3D printers. The building will contain an event hall, a conference room and offices.
Reno also mentioned the possibility of having a classroom area for student groups.
Voss said the new building could expand the organization’s influence statewide, helping them tackle larger projects such as the Dream Big project. Through the Dream Big project, NearSpace Education is partnering with six schools across the Midwest, including Taylor University, to launch a constellation of satellites. With this undertaking in their future, Voss believes having a larger facility will be vital.
Though he hopes to grow NearSpace Education beyond Grant County, Voss wants to continue pouring into the local community and developing a workforce in the Upland area, he said.
“We have great universities like Taylor and Indiana Wesleyan… but also, we want to resource our students and give more resources to our great high schools and elementary schools around here, too,” he said. “We really want to partner with the school system.”
Both Voss and Reno emphasized making the new space available for locals. They said they hope this project will add to Upland’s revitalization efforts.
Reno, an Upland local, remembers visiting downtown as a child.
“There were even more historic buildings down here, and we've lost them,” Reno said. “It's just a constant loss of history. The fact that we're able to save an old historic building with that history is fantastic.”
Voss said the renovation project has been a group effort, crediting its success to the Avis Foundation, Don Wood Foundation, Indiana Housing Authority and several other donors. As the renovation process continues, Voss said they are still on the lookout for some “ready money” to cover the costs of construction.
The organization has faced several challenges during the process, Voss said. Working on multiple projects while restoring a historic structure has been a learning curve.
“It's a very old 100-year-old building, and we want to keep that, restore that and bring it back to life,” he said. “So (we are) kind of fighting against time and trying to bring it back to its glory.”
The renovations are slated to be completed by this summer, just in time to host various space camps, Reno said. The building will most likely open in phases, with the maker space being the first area available to the public.
Voss believes this new space will “inspire, equip and impact” students, fulfilling the organization’s mission statement. Technology is always evolving, he said, and the skills students learn through NearSpace Education will allow them to innovate and make an impact wherever they go.
NearSpace Education and NearSpace Launch are also looking to impact college students through internships. For more information, students can contact Alex Reno by email: alexreno@nearspaceeducation.org.
Both Reno and Voss are excited that NearSpace Education gets to participate in the transformation of Upland. They hope new businesses will continue to pop up, transforming downtown into the bustling area it used to be.
