From Screen to Shop: CNC Tool Tote — Homeschool MakerClass

Grades: 6+
Dates: Tuesdays, March 24 – April 28
Time: 1:00–3:00 PM
Cost: $160 (materials included)

Step into the world of digital fabrication and hands-on building in this middle school homeschool MakerClass at Area 59. In From Screen to Shop: CNC Tool Tote, students will learn how ideas move from a computer screen to a finished project in the shop.

Over six weeks, students will design, build, and personalize their own wooden tool tote while learning foundational skills used in modern fabrication and manufacturing. Participants will start by learning how to measure, mark, and assemble wood components safely and accurately. Then they will move into the Design Center to create a custom graphic using computer design software. That design will be engraved using a CNC router, connecting digital design with real-world manufacturing.

By the end of the class, each student will have built a functional, shop-quality tool tote complete with their own CNC-engraved design.

This class is ideal for students ready to move beyond basic maker projects and explore real fabrication tools and processes in a supportive, hands-on environment.

Students will learn to:

• Measure and assemble wooden components accurately

• Safely use basic shop tools

• Design simple graphics on a computer

• Understand how CNC machines translate digital designs into physical objects

• Complete a functional woodworking project from start to finish

All materials are included. Basic computer skills are required.

Students will leave the class with both a custom tool tote and a deeper understanding of how modern makers and manufacturers turn digital ideas into real-world creations.