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Arts / Education / Makerspaces / Youth

15 cool classes you can take this summer at Philly’s makerspaces

From 3D printing to robotics to metalwork: get off the couch and ~ make something ~ this summer.

Making things at The Hacktory. (Courtesy photo)

Technical.ly’s Editorial Calendar explores a different topic each month. The July 2017 topic is makers. These stories explore makerspaces (and the people who lovingly build stuff in them) in each of our five markets.

In case you had some spare time this summer and wanted to learn to make some stuff, Philly’s ever-evolving landscape of makerspaces has a lineup of classes you may want to check out no matter what your skill level is.

From the most entry-level intro to electronics to a primer on woodworking or a basic course on 3D printing, local makers are lining up to show you how do stuff in the real world.

Here’s the rundown of classes:

Hive76

Open house: Every Wednesday night at 8 p.m., the South Philly spot nestled in the BOK building, opens its doors to the maker-curious (and usually offers up some tacos). Though there’s not a specific project or topic, aspiring makers can come in and work on projects with lots of makers around for guidance.

The Hacktory

Backed by a $24K StartUp PHL grant from the city, this makerspace has a lineup of workshops centered on educating adults on skills they can put to use in the workplace. Mind you, that doesn’t mean the topics have to be dull: The courses focus on things like wearable tech, robotics and 3D printing. The classes have fees in the $300 range, but thanks to that grant a limited number of $250 scholarships are available to those who need them.

Wearable tech: July 9-15

Register

STEM in the classroom: July 16–20

Register

3D Printing: July 23–27

Register

Practical Robotics: July 30–Aug. 3

Register

Coding and electronics: Aug. 7–11

Register

Online security: Aug 13–17

Register

NextFab

Evan Malone’s makerspace, which just expanded to Wilmington, Del., backed by a $350,000 grant from the state’s Delaware Strategic Fund, also has a lineup of classes available for the summer across its locations.

3D Printing: July 12

Register

Intro to CAD software SolidWorks: July 20

Register

Intro to Jewelry: July 21

Register

Intro to Illustrator (at the Wilmington location): July 27

Register

Make a shelf: Aug. 10

Register

Make a coffee table: Aug. 13 and Aug. 20

Register

Intro to chainmail (!): Several dates

Register

Metal Inc.

At Port Richmond’s makerspace for metalheads (the building material, not the music genre), schedule a one-on-one for a primer on the subtleties of shaping metal into beautiful works of art or a real sturdy table (or both).

1 on 1 classes: Every Friday evening and Saturdays, cost ranges from $75 to $250. Email madewithmetal [at] gmail [dot] com to schedule a class.

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Did we miss a class? Got another suggestion? Tell us in the comments section below.

Companies: Hive76 / The Hacktory
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