Planning a STEM Space: An Equipment Checklist Before You Buy

A STEM space can start with a tempting equipment list: robots, microscopes, presentation tools, maybe a mobile cart. But a useful purchasing plan answers a different question first: what should people be able to do in this space, and what will it take to make that activity work?

This guide is for schools and districts, libraries, businesses, nonprofits, and community programs planning a place for hands-on learning. You do not need a finished floor plan or a large budget to start. You need a clear first use, a realistic equipment list, and a few practical conversations.

1. Choose three activities before choosing equipment

“Build a STEM lab” describes a space. “Program a robot to follow a route, inspect a specimen, and present a prototype” describes what the space needs to support.

Write down three activities you want to run during the first phase. For each, identify the audience, the number of people participating at once, the facilitator, and what a successful session would look like. If your setting is a workplace or community program, use the same questions with your own training or program goals.

The MIT Edgerton Center’s K–12 Maker Lab recommends defining the audience and educational goals before selecting tools or laying out a makerspace. It also encourages starting simply and adding capability over time.

Write this first: “In phase one, our participants will be able to _____, working in groups of _____, with _____ available to guide the session.”

2. Count simultaneous use, not just total enrollment

The number of people enrolled in a program is not automatically the number of devices or kits you need. Your session format matters.

Illustrative example: A group of 24 learners working in teams of three creates eight teams. If every team uses one robotics kit at the same time, the activity needs eight kits. If four teams use robotics while four work at a different station, and then switch, the robotics station needs four kits. The second plan also needs enough time and meaningful materials for the other station.

This is a planning calculation, not a universal recommendation. Age, task complexity, access needs, supervision, and the kit’s contents can change the right group size. List shared displays and instructor equipment separately, and decide whether spare items are necessary for your setting.

Useful check: Can you explain where each group will work, what it will use, and what the other groups will do while waiting?

3. Check what you can reuse

Before adding products, inventory usable devices, furniture, tools, and materials already available. “We own it” and “it is ready for this activity” are different things.

For an existing computer or tablet, record its operating system, available connections, and who controls software installation. For shared equipment, find out whether it is actually available during your sessions. Check missing components, condition, and any setup work before counting it toward your plan.

Use the worksheet’s Have column for equipment you can confidently reuse. Use Buy for the remaining quantity. Leave uncertain items as open questions rather than treating them as available.

4. Build the list around the whole activity

A product may be the centerpiece of a session without being everything the session needs. Work through setup, use, cleanup, and storage.

These are prompts, not a list of mandatory purchases. Some needs may already be covered by equipment you own. Others may be better addressed through a change in the activity or room setup.

5. Give storage and reset their own plan

Picture the last ten minutes of a session. Small parts need a place to return. Devices may need charging. Unfinished projects need to survive until the next meeting. The next group needs to find what it needs.

Decide what stays in the room, what travels, what needs secure storage, and who resets the space. Match storage to the actual items: tray dimensions, equipment dimensions, and the size of in-progress projects matter more than a photograph of a tidy room.

Maker Ed’s guidance on spaces, tools, and materials suggests following a tool and a material through an activity to understand how they move, where they end up, and what maintenance or organization is needed. Try that with one of your planned activities before committing to a storage system.

6. Confirm fit with the people responsible for the space

Bring your draft list to the people who will use, maintain, and support it. Include teaching or program staff, IT, facilities, and purchasing where those roles apply.

• Space: Check equipment dimensions, work surfaces, circulation, and the route from the delivery point to the room.
• Technology: Confirm connectors, operating-system support, required software, accounts, subscriptions, and network permissions.
• Access: Discuss reach, visibility, movement, and different ways people may need to participate.
• Operation: Identify training, supervision, routine checks, and any facilities or safety review needed for the planned activities.

MIT’s makerspace guidance treats facilities, storage, training, and supervision as parts of the design process. A supplier’s product description alone cannot establish that equipment is suitable for your site.

7. Separate the purchase price from the cost of running it

Make room in your estimate for more than the main equipment. Depending on the activity, your plan may also need delivery, setup, accessories, consumables, licenses, staff training, replacement parts, or ongoing maintenance.

Record the time period beside recurring estimates: per session, per term, or per year. Keep unknown amounts visible. Do not turn an unconfirmed delivery charge or subscription requirement into a zero just to complete the budget.

Then prioritize each line:

• Now: Needed to run the first planned activities.
• Next: Useful after a pilot shows what to improve.
• Later: A possible expansion with a defined purpose.

This gives your team a starting scope and a way to make tradeoffs if the initial quote exceeds the available budget.

8. Prepare a quote request someone can act on

A useful request does not have to be perfect. Include the product or function, model or SKU if known, quantity, delivery location, target date, and important compatibility requirements. Explain where you are open to alternatives and where a specific feature is essential.

Also note any purchase order process, vendor paperwork, quote deadline, or receiving restrictions. Ask for confirmation of availability, delivery charges and timing, warranty information, and the support contact before committing to an order.

Finish by naming a project owner and choosing a first-session activity. After that session, review what people used, what stayed in storage, what slowed setup, and what needs to change before expanding.

Start with a workable first phase

You do not need to equip every possible activity on day one. A clear first phase gives your team something concrete to discuss, price, and improve.

Download the free STEM space planning worksheet, use it with your team, and keep the completed copy as your working brief.

If you want help putting the equipment list together, share your project with STEMclassrooms. You can also explore equipment by category and build your list at your own pace.

Further reading

• MIT Edgerton Center K–12 Maker Lab: Set Up a Makerspace
• Maker Ed: Spaces, Tools, and Materials—Reflecting on Design Approaches

This article and worksheet are original STEMclassrooms planning resources. The linked organizations provide further guidance and do not endorse STEMclassrooms. Equipment and site requirements should be reviewed for your specific activities and setting.