Abstract: While increasing numbers of K-12 and higher education institutions are introducing Maker Lab and other fabrication environments for their students, these institutions often face many difficulties with designing, deploying, and operating Maker spaces that facilitate meaningful student engagement with digital fabrication tools and software and encourage exploration of the design thinking process. In this virtual paper, we will share successful strategies for planning and design of a functional and well-implemented lab based on experiences and study of the Design Lab at Phillips Exeter Academy, including examples of successful student engagement through a campus club that is student-led with zero unsolicited input from faculty and through external events like the Maker Faire that can inspire a love for making and a passion for design, engineering, and the arts. We will also present examples of critical items to plan for before implementation of such a Maker space, including consideration for equipment selection based on the physical capabilities of existing infrastructure and based on faculty capability to facilitate effective use of tools, and strategies to ensure the sustainability of such tools and maintaining student engagement.