Q&A: What is the Penn State Learning Factory?

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Learning Factory will host its Open House event on Thursday, Sept. 24, from 4 to 6 p.m. on the fourth floor of the Engineering Design and Innovation Building at University Park. The event is open to all students and will allow students to learn more about the opportunities and facilities available through the Learning Factory.

Anchal Amin, the Learning Factory’s undergraduate representative for strategic communications, is helping to coordinate the event. In this Q&A, Amin, who is a fourth-year mechanical engineering major with a minor in engineering leadership development and a certificate in Earth sustainability, discussed what makes the Learning Factory unique, why students should attend the open house and more.

Q: What is the Learning Factory, and what makes it unique?

Amin: The Learning Factory is Penn State’s College of Engineering makerspace where students learn by doing. We support the capstone engineering design course and a variety of other student projects, and we provide a University-industry partnership where student design projects benefit real-world clients.

Students don’t just use the Learning Factory; they operate it. Trained students manage equipment, safety and peer training, which builds a strong culture of ownership and collaboration. The Learning Factory also provides free materials for student projects, removing barriers and encouraging creativity. We also host build nights in partnership with industry sponsors, clubs and teaching assistants, giving students hands‑on exposure to tools, techniques and real engineering workflows in a collaborative environment.

Q: Who can use the Learning Factory facilities?

Amin: The Learning Factory is not just for engineers. In fact, 20% of our users are from outside of the College of Engineering! Our spaces are open to any current students, faculty and staff at Penn State. Anyone with a valid Penn State ID can come in and complete our scavenger hunt and safety training and gain access to advanced trainings for our shop spaces! We have clubs and organizations on campus come in, and even professors who want to further develop their skills.

Q: What are some of the coolest projects you have seen completed in the Learning Factory?

Amin: Some of the coolest projects I’ve seen in the Learning Factory really highlight how diverse the building is. In the metal shop, Nittany Motorsports has manufactured custom components for the Formula SAE car. Everything from brake rotors to a welded chassis has been done and it’s incredible to watch students turn stock into real race parts.

In the woodshop, I’ve seen students build full speakers, hand‑crafted guitars and even wood lamination projects with our resident artist. People also make charcuterie boards and chess boards that look professionally finished. In additive manufacturing, students get really creative with custom chess pieces, a mini Statue of Liberty and even Pokémon models inside a 3D‑printed Pokéball. What makes these projects stand out is how students take advantage of the different shops to bring their ideas to life, often combining multiple manufacturing methods into one build.

Q: How is the Learning Factory related to the College of Engineering capstone projects?

Amin: The Learning Factory coordinates the world’s largest interdisciplinary client-sponsored capstone design program.  Each year over 1,300 College of Engineering students complete more than 220 sponsored projects involving over 150 active sponsors! We provide the training, support, materials and expertise to help these students achieve the goals set for them by their industry sponsors. Capstone projects help to prepare students for the real world by giving them an opportunity to succeed and make an impact with real world challenges.

Q: Why should students attend the open house on Sept. 24?

Amin: Open House is an opportunity for students to explore clubs, connect with peers and alumni and pick up technical skills, and it is all in one place! Students that attend walk away with new connections, skills and a clearer picture of how the engineering community connects at Penn State. We offer free T-shirts, food and raffle prizes throughout the building. It’s a fun and low-pressure environment to learn about the building and what we offer to people at Penn State. All our shop spaces are closed for the event so anyone can walk through with no safety compliance or training required.

On the fourth floor, we host a club-style fair that gives students the chance to see projects up close, meet alumni and find opportunities they may not have known exist. This year, we are sponsored by Autodesk, who are hosting computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) and generative design sessions that require no prior experience. The lecture style workshops give students manufacturing and design knowledge directly from industry professionals. Whether you are new to CAM or already building projects, these sessions help students level up their skills and understand tools used in engineering fields.