Every Sponsorship Counts
$1,000 a year gives one student free access to the makerspace, hands-on workshops, free materials, and free mentorship — for an entire year.
No fees. No catch.
What is The Atrium?
Picture a Tuesday afternoon. The Atrium is humming. A laser cutter is etching a sign a student designed that morning. Across the room, a row of 3D printers is churning out parts for a go-kart chassis someone is assembling at the prototyping bench. At the embroidery station, a student is stitching a custom patch for a jacket — a design that started as a sketch in a notebook and is now threading itself into fabric, stitch by stitch.
In the teaching kitchen, a local chef is running a soup workshop — showing six teenagers how to build a stock from scratch, how to layer flavors in a miso broth, how to turn roasted vegetables into a bisque. A tilt skillet is warming on the cookline. The double-deck convection oven is full of cookies the baking class mixed an hour ago — part of a fundraising batch the students are packaging and pricing themselves.
There is no bell. No period change. No permission slip. Just a building full of tools and adults who know how to use them, and kids who are learning — to make, to cook, to code, to create something real.
That is The Atrium. A makerspace and teaching kitchen for South Tahoe students — free, open, and built by the Marcella Foundation. Every program is free to students because sponsors cover the cost.
It takes three
ongoing partnerships
to make this work.
The Atrium isn’t funded by one big check. It’s built and sustained by three distinct commitments — each one essential, each one ongoing.
The Building
Marcella Foundation — purchased and remodeled the facility, runs operations
K12 Strong Workforce Grant
Purchasing the initial materials and early funding
The Students
Sponsors — $1,000 per student, 300 seats per year
Three-year commitment
$1,000 = one student's year
One student. One year. That is what $1,000 covers. Here is the breakdown — simple, transparent, and real.
Makerspace Access
Unlimited drop-in to the full makerspace — laser cutters, 3D printers, woodshop, electronics lab. Come any day, stay as long as you want.
Workshops
Instructor-led, hands-on sessions across the year — from kitchen skills to woodworking to electronics. Real projects, real skills.
Free Materials
All consumables covered. The filament, the lumber, the vinyl, the components. Commercial makerspaces charge extra. Here, everything is included.
Mentorship
Guided by Joseph and community instructors — local makers, tradespeople, experts who show up and share what they know.
Each student's year costs $1,000. That is roughly $85 a month. Commercial makerspaces charge $50–$80/month for membership alone — and materials are always extra. Here, everything is covered. Student sponsorships fund the core of our programming. Facility costs are covered by the Marcella Foundation and state support.
The goal: 300 sponsored students per year
$300,000 a year in student sponsorships keeps every program at The Atrium free for every student. Access to a makerspace, a teaching kitchen, workshops, materials, and mentorship — all paid for by people who believe in it.
$1,000 per student. One at a time. That is how we get there.
Not sure how many students to sponsor? Reach out — we'll figure it out together.
How many students do you want to sponsor?
We are looking for 3 year sponsorship commitments.
Sponsor
Funds 1 student · $1,000/year
Builder
Funds 10 students · $10,000/year
Workshop Champion
Funds 25 students · $25,000/year
Founding Partner
Funds 50 students · $50,000/year
How do you want to start?
Melissa Uppendahl
Foundation Director, Marcella Foundation
Reach Out970 Lodi Ave, South Lake Tahoe, CA
A Marcella Foundation Makerspace
© 2026 Marcella Foundation