Independence Day Project Challenge

Celebrate the American spirit through making — then document it well enough for any member to recreate it.

Theme

Your project must have a patriotic theme — July 4th celebrations, American history, veterans, flags, liberty symbols, or anything that captures the American spirit. It must have been built at Citrus Makerspace using our equipment.

What to Submit

All of the following must be included in your project entry in the Citrus Makerspace project system:

• Project title and the story behind it
• Full parts and materials list — specific makes, models, suppliers, and quantities
• Equipment used — which machines and the exact settings (speeds, feeds, power %, temperatures)
• Step-by-step process — detailed enough that any member could fully recreate it
• Photos and/or video — in-progress and finished shots, uploaded directly into your project entry
• Estimated total time and total cost

Derivative projects: If your project is based on an existing design, plan, or another member's work, you must credit and link the original source in your write-up. The Creativity & Originality criterion will be scored on the quality of your adaptation, customization, and execution — not the original concept.

The Reproducibility Standard

This is the bar your write-up is held to: could another member build your project from your entry alone? Submissions will be evaluated on this. A beautiful project with a thin write-up will score lower than a great project with excellent documentation.

Eligibility

• Active members only
• Project must be published in the Citrus Makerspace project system — entries submitted elsewhere will not be considered
• Project must have been published within 90 days before the contest opens
• Maximum 3 entries per member

25 credits are awarded per entry at the time of submission. Credits are subject to reversal if an entry is found ineligible during staff review.

Judging — 65% Staff / 35% Member Vote

Staff judges score each entry 1–10 across five criteria:

• Patriotic Theme — Does it embody the spirit of July 4th and the American spirit?
• Craftsmanship — Quality of construction and execution
• Reproducibility — Could another member build this from the write-up alone?
• Creativity & Originality — Unique concept or approach. For derivatives, scored on quality of adaptation
• Complexity & Skill — Appropriate challenge and skill level for the method used

Member Vote — How It Works

1. A poll listing all eligible entries opens when the submission deadline closes
2. Active members cast their vote for their favourite entry
3. Results are tallied as a percentage of total votes received across all entries
4. The poll runs for 2 weeks, then closes — final member scores are factored into judging at that point

Only active members are eligible to vote. One vote submission per member.

Prizes

Contest sponsored by Terema Inc.

Questions? Contact the Citrus Makerspace team.