Makerspace Update: August 2026
Note From Joseph
Hi Friends,
July had me on the road. First to Essick Woodworking School in Grass Valley for a two-day intro to woodworking intensive where I got to experience an intro class again as a student rather than the facilitator. I’m intentionally making a point to participate in more fabrication workshops from the other side of the bench this year. Experiencing someone else’s programming is always useful (and occasionally humbling), especially for building empathy for your patrons.
Next, I spent a week in Boston with Sean at MIT for FAB26, the annual gathering of Fab Labs from around the world (full recap below). Both trips left me fired up about new things we could bring back to our own space.
Which brings me to something I want to be straight with you about. Back in March, I told you we’d open our doors this Fall. However, I need to share that we are now building toward a 2027 opening. Rather than throwing out another hopeful date, I’d rather wait and see how demolition shakes out before announcing one I can stand behind.
I know this isn’t the update anyone was hoping for… but here is how I’m looking at it: construction time = programming time. In other words, each extra week of construction gives me more time to build Eyra, certification pathways, plan public events - so that when we do open, we do so with a bang.
Case in point: we're hiring our first student interns! I'm bringing on 2–3 LTCC students this year to help test certification workshops, build out our organization systems, and help me run programming at STHS and Mt. Tallac. In my experience, the absolute best way to build a standout student team is to start small and grow gradually and deliberately. Student staff have a compounding effect on a makerspace's culture and skillsets. Returning students train new ones, and each wave grows stronger than the last. By starting now, we guarantee that from day one you are greeted to our space by powerhouse team that exceeds your expectations!
Onward and upward!
Now Hiring: Our First Student Technicians
I’m extremely excited to announce that we are opening applications for our first ever batch of student technicians! This founding crew of LTCC students will get intensive hands-on training across our equipment, then use those skills to help build out The Atrium before the doors open. From there the real work begins - learning to teach these skills to their peers.
No prior experience necessary. We're hiring for a kind of person, not a skill set. The technicians who thrive here are self-directed, reliable, patient with people of all ages and abilities, and excited to set the example. Arts and education majors do just as well here as engineers.
We're looking for founding members who can stay through at least Summer quarter 2027 — ideally longer, so you're still here to help operate the space you helped build. This internship is a real opportunity to make a serious impact on the South Lake Tahoe community, and I'd love your help finding the right people. Please share this opportunity with any LTCC students you know!
$20/hr - Starts Oct 1 2027 - 10 hr/wk
FAB26 Recap
Sean and I headed out to MIT to join 1000 other makers from across the globe. Twenty-five years ago, MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms opened its first public shop which they called a Fab Lab. That experiment eventually spun off a nonprofit, the Fab Foundation, which has since grown the idea into a global network of over 2,700 spaces worldwide.
Every year that network gathers somewhere in the world, and for the 25th anniversary they brought us all back to MIT, using the occasion to unveil Fab Hub Kendall, their brand new public makerspace in Kendall Square. Experiencing a grand opening for a space like this had us taking lots of notes for what our eventual opening should look like…
Between sessions, we checked out three very different spaces:
Hatch Makerspace — a free, public-access makerspace run out of the Watertown Free Public Library. Despite the small footprint this place was absolutely bustling. Amazing to see!
Artisans Asylum — a 52,000 sq ft nonprofit makerspace with 160 artist studios
Ginkgo Bioworks — The largest automated biology lab in the world. A robot assembly line conducts experiments around the clock.
Construction Update: Demolition Begins
The building is officially empty, and demolition starts now. As I mentioned, I'm holding off on an updated opening date until the dust settles. This demo phase is where any final surprises may turn up, so once we’re through it we'll know exactly what we're working with.
Getting to this point meant finding a new home for our equipment, and STHS has been able to help out in a major way. They have a spare classroom they're using for storage and offered to let us park our machines there. There’s a bit of extra room to spare, so I’m planning to use it as a mini classroom for small workshops and events next semester!
I'm still working out the details of when it'll be accessible (after school is my guess) but either way, being physically closer to students while we build out our certification pathways means faster feedback on what's working, which is exactly what we need right now.
Our Mission
Think big and make a difference in South Lake Tahoe through innovative programs in our core operating pillars: FEED, READ, and LEAD. Learn more here.