Youth Workshops & Group Classes

We have a wide variety of age-appropriate workshops for youth, ages 8-18. In our youth workshops, each student creates an individual project to take home—welded sculptures, glass tiles, robots, and more! These active, hands-on workshops will have students energized, excited, and encouraging each other creatively.

Workshops are a 3-hour minimum. Multi-day workshops can be set up for all departments listed below. Adults are always welcome to join in, just pick the workshop age-appropriate for the youngest member of your group.

Ages 12-18

Ages 14-18

Special Projects

Field Trips

What Schools are Saying

The teaching staff there is really phenomenal. I felt lucky to participate!

Burke, Drew School

The middle school students from my school had a wonderful field trip here last year and would like to come again.

Leana, Synapse School

You guys are awesome! Kids love The Crucible and so does the faculty.

Linda, Nueva School

We all had such a great experience. The teachers were amazing and we really appreciate all of your support in setting up the workshop. We will definitely be back!

Abbey, French Marin Academy

Options For Ages 12-18

Blacksmithing Multi-Day

Learn to bend and shape steel in The Crucible’s smithy as you practice traditional blacksmithing techniques such as drawing, bending, twisting, punching, slitting, and drifting using the forge and anvil. Students will learn to forge with confidence and complete projects such as a bracelet, hook, fork, and spoon.

5 people min / 6 people max
13 hours

Blacksmithing

Heat metal to a glowing red and then pound it into exciting shapes on an anvil, often depicted in movies with the making of swords and the shoeing of horses. In this workshop, students will hand forge a bracelet in three hours or a medieval looking clothing hook in four hours.

5 people min / 6 people max
3 hour min

Cast Glass Sculpture Multi-Day

This immersive class introduces various casting techniques, including lost wax casting and open-faced carving. Students will create sculptures from wax, prepare molds, and kiln fire glass. You will finish the castings with cold shop equipment and processes.

5 people min / 6 people max
24 hours (two 6-hour days and three 4-hour days)

Electromechanics Multi-Day

An introduction to prototyping and interactive electronics. With the use of microcontrollers and programming, students will control circuits that sense their environment and make things move. Switches, buttons, relays, motors, servos, and solenoids are covered. The potential of control is limitless. This course builds fundamental skills that are applicable throughout your electronics career.

5 people min / 6 people max
15 hours

Enameling

Discover the ancient art of fusing glass to metal. Students learn to fuse glass powders onto metal, usually copper or steel, to create a functional coaster. The glass powders can be transparent or opaque to create complex designs. No previous jewelry making, enameling, or metalworking experience necessary.

5 people min / 6 people max
3 hour min

Enameling Multi-Day

Discover the ancient art of fusing glass to metal. You’ll learn about metal preparation and fabrication for enameling, kiln properties and methods for firing, properties of enamel, and dry and wet application techniques. No previous jewelry making, enameling, or metalworking experience necessary.

5 people min / 6 people max
12 – 15 hours

Foundry: Adventures in Sand Casting

Learn the basics of metal casting, turning your ideas into cast-metal sculptures. Students will make a sculpture, create a mold in resin-bonded sand, then watch as molten aluminum is poured into their mold. Once cooled, they will open the mold to reveal their own unique, finished sculpture!

5 people min / 6 people max
3 hour min

Foundry: Aluminum Sand Casting Multi-Day

In this introduction to foundry processes, students turn ideas into cast-metal sculptures while learning the basics of metal casting. Students will make sculptures by creating molds in resin-bonded sand, then watch as molten aluminum is poured into their mold. When their piece has cooled they divest the mold then sculpture!

5 people min / 6 people max
15 hours

Glass Flameworking

Create beautiful glass ornaments, pendants, marbles, and more! Students will learn how to use tools and equipment like an oxy-propane torch to melt and shape glass with confidence. A variety of techniques including color pulling and applying, color pattern application and marble making will be covered.
4 people max
15 hours

Glass Flameworking Multi-Day

Discover flameworking, a type of hot glasswork. Students will learn to manipulate molten glass over a torch with confidence and create beautiful, unique marbles and figurines out of colored glass. Projects will vary with the instructor but can include bugs, creatures, plants, etc.

4 people max
12 – 15 hours

Glass Fusing

Glass fusing is a technique with incredible potential for creating colorful imagery. Cut and shaped glass are assembled to create an image then melted together in a kiln.  In this workshop, students learn glass cutting and shaping skills to create a mosaic tile.

6 people max
3 hour min

Glass Fusing: Creatures in Fused Glass Multi-Day

Create a variety of creatures and habitats in both warm and cold glass. In this multi-day workshop, students learn how to cut, shape, and embellish glass using a variety of tools, molds and machines. 2D and 3D projects may include fused tiles, jewelry, treasure chests, wind chimes, cityscapes, toadstools, insects, and jellyfish. Students will be encouraged to choose projects based on their own interests.

5 people min / 6 people max
15 hours

Jewelry & Metalwork

Make a fashion statement! Students will learn to anneal, cut, drill, hammer, and texture copper or bronze to create a charm, pendant or key chain, zipper pull or card holder.

6 people max
3 hour min

Jewelry & Metalwork Multi-Day

Make a fashion statement! Using copper, silver and other nonferrous metals, students will learn jewelry and metal art skills such as filing, sanding, texturing, and polishing techniques. By the end of this exploration, each student will leave class wearing a jewelry creation of their own design.

6 people max
12 – 15 hours

Leather Working

Students will learn to cut, pierce, fold, stitch, and stain leather.  Depending on the amount of time, cardholders, bracelets and even a wallet can be made.

5 people min / 6 people max
3 hour min

Leather Working Multi-Day

Learn techniques for working with leather including cutting, edging, stitching, dyeing, and oiling.  Students will also learn how to set rivets and add hardware like buckles, as well as design and safety issues.  Each student will make a belt and at least one bag upon completing this workshop.

5 people min / 6 people max
15 hours

Neon & Tube Bending Multi-Day

Learn the science behind neon gases and high voltage electrical transformers as you are taught how to shape and manipulate glass tubes into letters, shapes, or figures. The goal by the end of the workshop is for each student to make one small, working, neon-filled luminous tube that is wired with a transformer.

5 people min / 6 people max
15 hours

Welding: ARC & Oxy-Acetylene Cutting Multi-Day

Learn to fuse, cut, bend, and shape metal. This intensive introduction to stick welding (also known as ARC welding) and oxyacetylene torch cutting is taught by a technical pro. In-depth demonstrations and one-on-one guidance will be given on the safe and effective operation of welding equipment as students create a small welded sculpture or project.

5 people min / 6 people max
15 hours

Welding: MIG & Plasma Cutting

Students learn the basics of wire-feed welding that is typically used in the fabrication of furniture and light construction. Plasma cutting is an amazing technique for cutting out negative space or pieces to be welding onto a larger project. We make a votive candle box in 2 hours and a lantern in 3 hours.

5 people min / 6 people max
2 or 3 hours

Welding: MIG & Plasma Cutting Multi-Day

In this workshop, students learn the basics of MIG welding, plasma cutting, and grinding. Metal Inert Gas welding is the most common type of welding; used in blacksmithing, furniture fabrication, automotive shops, and light construction. Plasma cutting is an ultra-fast, clean, metal cutting method, allowing students to create free-form shapes as well as precision cutting.

5 people min / 6 people max
15 hours

Woodturning

Students learn the safe use of a wood lathe in which raw wood is spun and chisels are used to shape the wood. In a three-hour workshop, a spinning top can be made. In three (or more) days of three-hour workshops, a hammer or candlesticks can be made.

3 people min / 5 people max
3 hour min

Woodturning Multi-Day

Using a lathe, you can turn a rough piece of wood into a beautifully shaped spindle or bowl.  In a jam-packed class you will learn the basics of the turning proces as you explore small bowl turning and spindle turning.  The class will cover tool usage and sharpening, as well as wood selection, preparation and finishing.

4 people min / 5 people max
15 hours

Options For Ages 14-18

Frame Alteration: Art Bike Multi-Day

Customize your bicycle in this exciting workshop! Students learn basic fabrication skills in MIG welding, plasma cutting, grinding, and finishing to reconstruct their own bicycles. Frames will be stripped, and students will learn to redesign and alter handlebars, rims, seat posts, and frames to create unique look that will make them the talk of the neighborhood. Students are required to bring their own bicycle.

5 people min / 6 people max
30 hours

Glass Blowing

With supportive instruction in a team environment, students will learn to safely work with molten glass, gather glass from the furnace, apply colors, and shape and sculpt molten glass. Students should be prepared to work in the heat and will create a glass ornament or a solid and hollow pumpkin by the end of the workshop.

5 people min / 6 people max
4 hours

Glass Blowing Multi-Day

Students melt and reform glass using the glory hole, an opening in a furnace that keeps glass hot and workable. Many techniques for working with hot glass will be demonstrated including cane pulling, cane cups, “rollups,” and re-blowing bottles. Students will work in teams to form the glass and should be prepared for very hot work.

5 people min / 6 people max
15 hours

Hot Glass Sculpting

Participants learn the basics of hot glass sculpting (gathering, marvering, glass shaping). In a 3 hour workshop, participants can make a small pumpkin, flower, or similar item.

5 people min / 6 people max
3 hour min

TIG Welding

TIG (tungsten inert gas) is a highly precise method of welding that makes clean and focused welds on everything from super-thing to very thick materials without losing the integrity of the metal. Students will get to work on a small figurine made out of bolts and miscellaneous scrap metal in a one-day workshop or a larger sculpture projects in a multi-day workshop.

5 people min / 6 people max
3 hour min

TIG Welding Multi-Day

TIG (tungsten inert gas) is a highly precise method of welding that makes clean and focused welds on everything from super-thin to very thick materials without losing the integrity of the metal. In this multi-day workshop, students will learn the basics of TIG welding by working with cold-rolled steel and will be assigned sculpture projects that allow them to put their creativity and welding skills to use.

5 people min / 6 people max
15 hours

Ready For Your Youth Workshop?

Youth Workshop & Group Classes Quote Request

You are welcome to reach out to us at private@thecrucible.org or (510) 444-0919 x125 with any questions!

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