Youth as young as 8 years of age can become TechShop members!
For the safety of everyone in our TechShop community, please note that all member responsibilities, safety guidelines, rules, shop etiquette, and policies outlined in the TechShop Individual Membership Agreement also apply to youth and add-on family members.
Liability waivers
All minors (including guests of members) must have a Waiver and Release of Liability for Minors signed by their parent or legal guardian on file before they will be allowed to attend classes or work on-site.
Adult supervision
Adults must take and pass the Safety and Basic Use (SBU) class for all pieces of equipment on which they will be providing supervision to minors.
Adults must pay for their seat when in-class supervision of a minor is required (exceptions will be made for adults who have previously taken the class).
Membership behavior
Minors, like all other TechShop members, must act responsibly and respectfully and follow all directions from staff members and instructors.
If you have any questions, please ask for a copy of the agreement (We strongly recommend doing so as the agreement is periodically updated)
As there are different levels of inherent risk in both the environment and the operation of TechShop’s various tools and equipment, designated shop areas and equipment/classes have varying age minimums, and some equipment requires successful completion of a Safety and Basic Use (SBU) class prior to independent use.
- Minors under 8 years of age: restricted to age-appropriate classes, workshops, special events, and staff-supervised tours
- Minors ages 8–11: must be under the direct supervision of a parent, legal guardian or authorized adult at all times while on-site
- Minors ages 12–14: may utilize designated equipment and areas of the shop independently once they have passed the associated SBUs; in other areas, the minors must be under the direct supervision of a parent, legal guardian or authorized adult
- Minors ages 15–17: may utilize any equipment and area of the shop independently once they have passed the associated SBUs
Highlighted fields in the table, below, indicate that minors in that age range are permitted in those classes and shop areas while under the direct supervision of a parent, legal guardian or approved adult.
Minors ages 15–17 are permitted access to these areas without parental supervision once the associated Safety and Basic Use requirements have been met.
If we decide to change our Minors and Shop Access, we will post those changes on this page, and/or update Minors and Shop Access modification date below.
This policy was last modified on February, 2017.
If there are any questions regarding this policy, you may contact us using the information in Contact us.