Student

Students

From learning to earning — students build skills, contribute to projects, and unlock real opportunities.

At Maker Space³, students turn curiosity into capability. With guided access to professional tools, monthly credits to build and explore, and opportunities to earn more through projects and volunteering, every student can grow from hands-on learning into real-world experience. From cross-discipline training to paid work alongside mentors, our student pathway is designed to unlock creativity, confidence, and career-ready skills.

Student Journey Summary

Join with a sponsoring teacher/mentor.
Complete orientation & safety training.
Receive monthly membership credits.
Earn more credits by volunteering or helping with projects.
Take classes, earn badges, and explore different labs.
Join community & student-led projects.
Qualify for paid work in the subsidiary pool.
Graduate with skills, experience, and a portfolio.
Give back as a teacher

Getting Started

Every maker begins with guidance

Eligibility: Students must be enrolled in a local high school, college, or training program.
Sponsorship Requirement: Students need a sponsoring teacher or mentor who signs off on their membership.
Orientation: All students complete safety training and an intro course before using equipment in their discipline.
Access Level: After orientation, students gain entry to the Digital Lab, Fabrication Shop, and Media Lab under supervision hours.

Membership & Credits

Your membership is your toolbox.

Base Student Membership Includes:
- $150/month in scheduled machine time credits.
- Unlimited scheduled access to software/design stations appropriate to your discipline(s).
- Initial $50 allocation of material stock credit for prototyping your own projects.
Earning More Credits:
- Volunteer shifts (shop clean-up, orientation support, assisting with events).
- Contributing to community projects.
- Serving as peer mentors after reaching competency in a discipline.

Training & Access

Try it all — find your passion.

Students can take short “badge” classes to unlock access to:
- CNC & Digital Fabrication (mills, lathes, laser cutters, 3D printers).
- Media & Marketing (video, photography, social campaigns).
- Design & CAD (Fusion, Shapr3D, Adobe).
- Electronics & Prototyping (soldering, Arduino, IoT).
Badges stack into higher certifications that make students eligible for paid assignments.

Participation in Projects

Learn by doing, together.

Community Builds: Students work alongside members and mentors on nonprofit or community-facing projects.
Student-Led Projects: Sponsored teachers or advisors can guide small teams to create products or prototypes.
Portfolio Development: Every student project is documented (photos, write-ups) to support resumes, college applications, or grant funding.
Personal Projects: This is your choice and the intended use of your machine and material credits.

Teacher and Community lead project support and collaboration typically will not consume your credits.

Learning and Collaboration are as free as we can make them.

Paid Work & Opportunities

Skills that pay back.

Students who earn advanced badges and demonstrate reliability can join the Subsidiary Job Pool.
Opportunities include:
- Junior machinist hours on production runs.
- Packaging and assembly contracts.
- Media & design services for clients.
Students are always paired with a Lead Machinist / Supervisor, ensuring mentorship and quality.
Paid work is billed at commercial rates through the subsidiary, with students compensated hourly and credits for training preserved on the nonprofit side.
Perk: We will help you with your taxes through our business discipline. Being paid as a contractor can carry some complexity. We don't want you to have to absorb that burden alone.

Growth & Pathways

From shop floor to career door.

Career Track

Build a portfolio of real-world projects.
Leverage certifications and logged hours for apprenticeships, college, or direct employment.
Step into roles as junior machinist, designer, or technician in local industry.
Grow into careers in advanced manufacturing, product design, or media/marketing.

Maker Track

Students who “graduate” from the program can transition into instructors and mentors within the space.
Eligible to lead workshops, teach new members, and guide community projects.
Earn additional membership credits or stipends for teaching.
Become recognized as a Maker Mentor, building leadership and teaching experience.
Create a cycle where today’s students become tomorrow’s teachers.

Whether you take your skills into the world or give back by teaching here (or both!), every student’s journey continues beyond graduation.

Student Journey

From shop floor to career door.

Career Track

Build a portfolio of real-world projects.
Leverage certifications and logged hours for apprenticeships, college, or direct employment.
Step into roles as junior machinist, designer, or technician in local industry.
Grow into careers in advanced manufacturing, product design, or media/marketing.

Maker Track

Students who “graduate” from the program can transition into instructors and mentors within the space.
Eligible to lead workshops, teach new members, and guide community projects.
Earn additional membership credits or stipends for teaching.
Become recognized as a Maker Mentor, building leadership and teaching experience.
Create a cycle where today’s students become tomorrow’s teachers.

Whether you take your skills into the world or give back by teaching here (or both!), every student’s journey continues beyond graduation.

Fine Print & Fair Use

Learn free, build for fun.

Free or Sponsored Memberships are intended for learning, exploration, and personal projects.
Output created under these memberships is not for external commercial sale or private profit.
If you intend to use the makerspace for commercial production, prototypes for a business, or products you plan to sell, you’ll need to hold a paying membership (or contract through our subsidiary).
This keeps the space fair, sustainable, and focused on education and community benefit — while still supporting members who are ready to take their projects into the marketplace.

Note: This doesn't mean you can't make a piece of jewelry and sell it at a craft fair or to a friend. It means you can't use the majority of your time in the space for that purpose.

On the other hand, we encourage people to create art and share it with others. Enter it into a competition. Have a local business use or display it.

When it’s time to go commercial, step into a pro membership or contract with our production subsidiary.

Students

From learning to earning — students build skills, contribute to projects, and unlock real opportunities.

Student Journey Summary

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