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
RegisterSTEM in the classroom: July 16–20
Register3D Printing: July 23–27
RegisterPractical Robotics: July 30–Aug. 3
RegisterCoding and electronics: Aug. 7–11
RegisterOnline security: Aug 13–17
RegisterNextFab
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
RegisterIntro to CAD software SolidWorks: July 20
RegisterIntro to Jewelry: July 21
RegisterIntro to Illustrator (at the Wilmington location): July 27
RegisterMake a shelf: Aug. 10
RegisterMake a coffee table: Aug. 13 and Aug. 20
RegisterIntro to chainmail (!): Several dates
RegisterMetal 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.
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.
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