Growth Of Cookeville’s Imagine Foundry Leads To New Location

Cookeville’s Imagine Foundry has moved to a new location off Willow Avenue.

Executive Director Jessa Hershner said the two story 4,000 square foot space comes after the foundry’s recent growth.

“We actually started just two years ago doing mobile maker lab activities with a very small blue wagon,” Hershner said. “And in two years have grown from the blue wagon into renting.”

Hershner said the organization has out grown two other spaces before this location. The non-profit organization provides maker spaces that promotes creativity. Hershner said the new facility has enough room to hold 14 different maker labs, now.

“We want to help empower kids to find what they are passionate about,” Hershner said. “And develop skills that will help them be successful not only in life but also in the workforce.”

Hershner said children of all ages can take advantage of the hands on learning that is similar to S.T.E.A.M education. You can participate in rooms made for wood working to sewing.

“Families can come and make things,” Hershner said. “We have a section for babies and toddlers where we have some imaginative play and construction toys. As we go up in age, our elementary to middle school students we have a science and technology room where they can do robotics and programming. They can use our microscopes and investigate things.”

Hershner said that the idea of the creative spaces came from her families history of crafting.

“From the time I was little all the way through to adulthood, I was helping my mom and dad in their workshop,” Hershner said. “My mom is the artist in the family, so my dad would draw and build furniture, and then my mom would come up with these really great finishes. Growing up in that environment I learned how to use a lot of different tools.”

The address of the new location is 1225 South Willow Avenue.