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The Spark

Igniting the imagination through cooperative learning

Events, Instruction, & Outreach

The Spark Artmark with a black background and images of various technologies including a microcontroller, soldering iton, spool of thread and needle, and a camera

Overview Events, Instruction, and Outreach

We are excited to have you come into our spaces to learn or continue to develop new skills, building your resume, and/or enriching your college experiences. The Spark has resources that are circulating (can leave space) and some that are only available for in space use. The Spark Makerspace offers access to a variety of tools and machines that can have inherent risks. In order to allow individual's access to use the resources, training is required.

It is important to understand the makerspace is not a production facility but an educational lab. Our mission is to teach you the skills/equipment to bring your project and/or ideas to life. The team does not do the work, they train individuals to use the resources they need or want to learn. Therefore training on equipment is often the first step in using the makerspace resources available at the Spark. Departments, Classes, Organizations, or Small groups please refer to our group request information.

The first step is making sure you are trained and authorized to use the equipment desired. Most circulating items simply require a basic liability contract. However, the Camera equipment does require a basic safe handling training. Training schedules will be posted on the Spark Calendar by Spark location, however individual appointments will also be available starting Spring 2024 through a link that will be on the Spark Calendar page as well.

  • Bring identification; University of North Texas Student/Staff/Faculty ID Card
  • Wear or bring an extra pair of closed-toe shoes and proper attire for safe use of equipment when you visit the Spark. Examples- a way to put long hair up and/or long sleeves that are tight fit to cover arms if soldering, or light fit sleeves if using a cutting machine
  • Be prepared to complete safety and or equipment training prior to being able to use specific items.
  • You are responsible for creating a safe space by
    • following safety guidelines
    • using the resources properly and how they were designed to be used
  • You are financially responsible for the equipment checked out to you including
    • Returning the equipment in the same or better condition than when it was checked out
    • Lost/stolen/damages that occur while the items are checked out to you

  • If you are already trained (by the SPARK) you can skip to Machine Operator Appointment. However, if you schedule an MOA without training, you will have to reschedule and complete the appropriate training. 

  • Machine Operator Appointment (Required for CNC, Embroidery, Laser) a skilled Spark employee is required for MOA, their role is to assist in the event the equipment has issues. Trained individuals will be expected to be able to operate the machine independently.

  • PLEASE NOTE: The Spark offers assistance with learning how to use our resources but we are not authorized as a production facility (we do not work on your materials/project directly or take orders to make things for you). Nor are we able to develop code or projects for individuals. We are here to help you learn how to use our resources to achieve your project goals. 

  • If you are unsure what you would like to use and would like to talk to a Maker about what we have or any project ideas you have, send us an email to thespark@unt.edu. Otherwise, select the training appropriate for your needs.

 

Upcoming Events

 

 

 

 

 

The Spark Artmark with a black background and images of various technologies including a microcontroller, soldering iton, spool of thread and needle, and a camera

Instruction

Need Training?

 Want to use the makerspace equipment? Great, most equipment requires specific safety and/or use training prior to being able to use the equipment. To schedule training please use the link below:

Step 1) Schedule Training

Trainer Booking: Discovery Park | Frisco Landing | Willis Library

NOTE:

  • Booking must be at least 5 days out - this allows the trainers to secure materials for the training session
  • This is a training, and materials will be provided by the Spark
  • Due to time constraints, trainings are 45-60 minutes and are a pre-defined project set by the Spark
  • If you realize you will not be able to make your training, please notify the trainer by using the link in your confirmation as soon as possible but no later than 2 hours prior to the training

Step 2) Attend Training

  • Remember trainings are required prior to being able to complete a personal project
  • Materials for trainings are provided by the Spark
  • Please be prepared for 45-60 minutes to complete the training
  • At the training you will be required to complete a training agreement and liability paperwork
  • Training will include:
    • safety procedures
    • proper machine use procedures
    • best practices
    • how to schedule personal use in the future

NOTE: it takes 48-72 hours to process training forms and update your access to equipment in the system. You will receive a training receipt via email which you can upload through the booking form for Monitored Operator Appointments, to help minimize any delays in being able to book the equipment during this processing window.

 

The Spark Artmark with a black background and images of various technologies including a microcontroller, soldering iton, spool of thread and needle, and a camera

Monitored Operator Appointments

Want to use specialized equipment?

Once you have completed the appropriate training for the desired equipment, you are free to book a Machine Operator Appointment! These appointments are specific to our larger or more dangerous equipment. A Spark crew member will accompany you while you use the machine to ensure proper safety for you and our space. Once you have completed your training, book a Machine Operator Appointment below to get started on your project!

Schedule an appointment below when you are ready for a Machine Operator Appointment! 

For our Discovery Park location: 

For our Frisco Landing location:   

For our Willis location:                   

The Spark Artmark with a black background and images of various technologies including a microcontroller, soldering iton, spool of thread and needle, and a camera

Group Request Information
Looking to schedule a group, class, department training or workshop?

Our goal is to work with classes and groups to schedule events, workshops, and trainings to support the needs of your group. We strive to be able to coordinate trainings in a timely manner. Due to the many variables that may be part of a group/class/department request we require a minimum of a two week request to be able to review and determine our ability to accommodate the group's needs.

To complete the form below we request you to include as much detail as possible but at a minimum we will need to know:

  • Location- you will be able to select one of the Spark locations or other  for which you will be asked to include details for the location you are requesting
  • Event description
  • When: Dates/Time options for the event
  • Topic and title of Event
  • Anticipated audience size
  • Type of event you are requesting:
    • Information Session- Spark team member come to you, physically or virtually to give an information session about the Spark and its services
    • Tour- bringing a group to one of our spaces for a tour of the space and services available
    • Resource Overview- a specialized tour of a specific subset of resources such as Audio equipment or 3D printers
    • Equipment Training- a full training for the group on a specific piece of equipment
    • Workshop- software training on a specific application
    • Other- any mix of the above or an outreach type of event
  • Contact information- so there are several fields for information about the class and representative to organize the session or event with

TO submit a request for a group, class, department or organization event please use the button below:

The Spark Artmark with a black background and images of various technologies including a microcontroller, soldering iton, spool of thread and needle, and a camera

Outreach

At the Spark we believe in experiential learning process and strive to provide safe, engaging and inspiring opportunities to learn. Our outreach initiatives are designed to engage with community partners to bring the Spark experience to individuals in a wide range of topic areas. A significant portion of our efforts are spent in k-12 settings and include home school cooperatives, private schools and public school districts. 

We are open to explore opportunities for fostering new partnerships, if you are interested please send an email to Spark.support@unt.edu with details of what you are interested in partnering with the Spark on.

 

 

The Spark Artmark with a black background and images of various technologies including a microcontroller, soldering iton, spool of thread and needle, and a camera

Events & Instruction Session Calendars

The Spark offers events and instructions sessions at all three locations. below is a snapshot of the session that are on the schedule at this time. If you are interested in a specific event or session click on the title to take you to a page with more details for the given event.

Discovery Park | Frisco Landing | Willis Library

 

 

Additional Links

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