Investing in Vermont’s Young Makers

Sasha Stucker, Grade 6, Burlington

Inside Generator Makerspace, young Vermonters are setting up tables, arranging their products, and putting the finishing touches on ideas they’ve been building for weeks, months, and sometimes years. As part of the Next GENerator youth market, all of them are stepping into something bigger, the experience of bringing an idea to life and sharing it with their community. 

Possibility is at the heart of Generator’s work. The Burlington-based makerspace is designed to give people of all ages the tools, space, and support to turn ideas into reality, from woodworking and digital fabrication to design and entrepreneurship.   

The idea for the Next GENerator began at Davis Studio and has grown into a collaboration with Generator and Seven Days. Now in its second year, the annual youth market has quickly become a growing tradition. Open to students in grades 3 through 12, this year’s event featured 25 youth vendors, selected from a pool of more than 40 applicants based on the strength of their products, how they present their work, and how they contribute to a diverse and balanced market. The result is a vibrant mix of ideas, from handmade goods to inventive designs, each one offering a glimpse into the creativity and drive of Vermont’s next generation.   

RAR Design Rebecca Rogers, Grade 6, South Burlington

Spanning three rooms of the Generator Makerspace, this year’s market brought together an imaginative mix of creations, from a beaded pen bar to face-painting, to one-of-a-kind hand-stamped wrapping paper to wood inlay cutting boards that felt as much like art as they do kitchen tools. This writer left with a felted dinosaur from Yarn Barf, a floral resin cutting board from LoveArtsyStudio, a sparkle headband from RAR Designs, and several hand-stamped cards from January Crafts. It was just as inspiring to hear how many participants had been attendees last year and thought, “Wait, I can make great stuff,” as it was to meet returning vendors who came back with lessons learned: “Last year I sold out in like 30 minutes, so this year I made more.”   

Alongside Northfield Savings Bank and the Community College of Vermont, the VCF supported this year’s market with both sponsorship and a grant to Generator, ensuring each participant will receive $100 following the event. It’s a simple idea with the potential to spark meaningful impact, helping young makers reinvest in their work or take the next step in their creative journey. 

For many of these young people, this is more than a market. It is a first step.  

A first time earning money from something they created. 
A first time engaging with customers. 
A first time seeing themselves not just as students, but as makers, entrepreneurs, and contributors.  

This is what happens when creativity is nurtured, and when a community shows up to say: we believe in you and we can’t wait to see where your ideas take you.