The best way to get started in the LIFT Makerspace is to come in and look around. We’ll be happy to give you a quick tour and talk to you about all the possibilities in the makerspace. This space is for EVERYONE, regardless of your specialty or level of experience. When you come in, you’ll see teachers and students collaborating on projects, working with tools, using our computers, and hanging out and visiting. We want you to feel comfortable in the Makerspace, so please let us know if you have any questions.

Most of our tools require a safety certification to use on your own. When you come in for the first time, we will take a few minutes to talk with you about safety procedures and will demo proper use. After that, we’ll watch you use the equipment the first few times on your own to make sure you’ve understood instructions and answer any follow-up questions.

Once you’ve got it down and we’re confident you can use the tool safely on your own, we will award you with a safety certification. A safety certification means that you can use the tool on your own without direct supervision. You can earn safety certifications on: 3D Printers, CNC laser, CNC router, CNC vinyl cutter, power tools, hand tools, and electronics tools.

Most of our tools are pretty popular and stay busy most of the day. We want to ensure everyone has equal access to these tools, so tool reservations are strongly recommended. You can come in anytime and get added to our reservation calendar.  During busy times of the year, many of these tools will book up several days in advance, so plan ahead when possible. Once a reservation is made you will receive an email notification confirming your scheduled start date/time. 

We keep a wide variety of supplies and materials for use in academic projects. Our inventory ranges from paper to plywood, and vinyl to electronics components. When you come in to work on a class project, we’ll make sure you get the supplies you need. If you are working on a personal project before or after school, you’ll need to provide your own supplies.

Once you become a makerspace “regular” we’re going to expect you to clean up after yourself and put tools back where they belong before you leave. We count on our core group of students and teachers to set the tone and model how we want newbies to act when they come in to work. We’ve got an awesome space, and we want to keep it that way.

Of course, we’ll also expect you to report any problems you see in the makerspace and be willing to help those around you while you’re here.