Claremont MakerSpace brings back summer teacher program for K-12 educators

Claremont MakerSpace is again giving local teachers an affordable way into the shop, with a summer program that lets K-12 educators work on classroom ideas, learn new tools and use the facility all summer for $200. The offer is aimed at public and nonprofit school teachers, and the organization says it can help turn summer planning time into hands-on professional development that reaches Claremont-area classrooms.

The Summer Teacher Program, which Claremont MakerSpace said it created in 2024, was designed to introduce teachers to the space and help them build projects for themselves and their students. This year’s membership includes unlimited access from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily for three full months, plus a locker and member discounts on classes. The maker space says those included benefits are worth more than $350.

Registration is open through June 30 on the maker space’s membership page. In some cases, the organization says SAUs may reimburse pre-approved Claremont MakerSpace classes as credit toward professional development, a detail that could make the program especially useful for districts trying to stretch training dollars.

For Sullivan County schools, the appeal is practical. Teachers who may not have access to specialized equipment during the school year can use the summer membership to test lessons, prepare enrichment activities and develop project-based learning ideas before classes resume. That matters in a region where administrators are juggling budgets, staffing and curriculum demands and where inexpensive professional learning options can be hard to find.

Claremont MakerSpace is located at 46 Main Street in downtown Claremont and describes itself as a community-oriented creative hub supporting entrepreneurship, job development, community development, science and the arts. The organization says it is helping anchor the economic and cultural revitalization of Claremont, and its parent, TwinState MakerSpaces, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

The teacher program also fits into a broader education and workforce push at the maker space. In 2024, the organization posted a full-time Director of Workforce Development & Education position funded by a Northern Borders Regional Commission Catalyst grant. By March 2025, it said it had hired Cortney Nichols as director of education and workforce development to lead Trade Up Claremont.

That larger effort gives the summer teacher membership added weight. It is not just a seasonal discount; it is part of a growing role for Claremont MakerSpace as a place where educators can pick up skills, shape lessons and bring more hands-on learning back to local schools.