Makerspace Update: September 2026
Note From Joseph
Hi Friends,
School’s back in session and that means I'm finally back to getting real face time with students again! Between our new STHS pilot class (more info below) and demolition finally underway at 970 Lodi, September feels like the first month where you'll see both halves of what we're building, the programming and the physical space, progressing at the same time.
With the building out of our hands and demo moving along nicely, I've been investing hard on the programming side, doing a lot of planning behind the scenes. We're just about to kick off a big outreach push that'll run through the rest of the semester, and I'm still working on hiring our LTCC interns to help me pull it all off.
Honestly, this month is a hard one to make visual. That said, I'm looking forward to next month's update, when we'll have a lot more content of local students building cool stuff with cool tools. My favorite thing about this work.
As always, thanks for reading and sticking with us!
We’re Offering a New Class at STHS!
Big news! We have the opportunity to offer a new 6-week afterschool makerspace class at STHS in our temporary classroom. This pilot course will only have 10 seats! The selected students will get first access to our tools, our workshops, and Eyra, our makerspace app.
We're looking for students who are genuinely excited about The Atrium project, because we're hoping to use this pilot as a training ground for our future programming. We'll be testing some new activities and ideas, so we need students who are game for anything and ready to give honest, critical feedback.
Applications close tonight (Fri, Sep 4) at midnight. If you know someone who should apply, please send this their way.
Reminder: Now Hiring LTCC Students!
Just a quick reminder that we're still looking for LTCC students who want to come along for the ride. If you know anyone at the college who might be interested, or who could help spread the word, please share the link with them.
Students don’t need to have deep fabrication or design experience in order to be good candidates! We're really looking for founding members who are amped up about the project and will still be around for a semester or two to help run it once it's open.
Construction Update: Demolition Continues
If you've driven by recently, I'm sure you've noticed the changes. From the inside, things look a lot more bare than they used to. Old wiring, drywall, plumbing, fencing, siding, interior walls, flooring... it's all coming out, piece by piece.
Next up on the list is the roof, which sounds a little daunting, but I couldn't be happier we've elected to preventively replace and upgrade it. Of course, it adds to the upfront cost, but when I think about all the super cool (not exactly water friendly) equipment about to go into this building, it's an easy call.
I'm happy to report that today, I asked the crew what the biggest surprise they'd encountered so far, and they pointed me to a big wasp nest. Look… I'm not gonna be the one taking it down, but if that's as bad as construction surprises get, I'll take it. So far, so good.
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.