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2026 SSMC Conference Cal Poly SLO- Early Bird Registration Sale
Registration Includes:
Entrance to all conference Presentations and Tours
Breakfast and Lunch on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Tour ticket and Transportation to and from Hearst Castle
Banquet Dinner on Tuesday night after Hearst Castle tour
Shuttle bus transportation to and from specified hotel locations to Cal Poly
Entrance to informal mixer on Monday night
Conference Website
https://www.myssmc.org/conference
Conference Goal
Our goal is to continue building a professional community that connects personnel from student shops and making spaces across a wide range of post-secondary institutions and disciplines. Together, we share case studies, exchange practical insights, and address challenges related to safety, training, inclusion, technology, finances, and equipment.
In the spirit of Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing, this conference emphasizes hands-on learning, real-world problem solving, and collaborative growth.
Conference Focus – Learn by Doing in Action
This year’s program deepens our focus on the safety concerns inherent in managing student shops and makerspaces, while also exploring practical strategies to support smooth daily operations.
We will evaluate traditional training methods, consider new models for diverse and evolving student populations, and work collectively toward our ongoing goal:
To establish shared directives that will ultimately shape a comprehensive Student Shop Safety Training Handbook.
Sessions will explore questions such as:
How do we empower students to safely and confidently design, machine, build, and assemble their work?
How can we create inclusive, effective training platforms that meet the needs of all learners?
How can our community of professionals better support one another in advancing safe making practices?
This year, we are pleased to feature a celebrity keynote speaker, whose insights on creativity, innovation, and risk awareness will help inspire our continued progress.
Who Will Attend
Faculty, staff, and students who oversee, utilize, or support academic making environments including machine shops, wood shops, sculpture studios, theater shops, makerspaces, and fabrication laboratories.
Environmental Health & Safety and Risk Management professionals responsible for oversight of making environments are also encouraged to attend.
What to Expect
Conference sessions are designed to reflect Learn by Doing: collaborative, practical, and hands-on.
Open-forum group discussions on safety training, tools, and materials
Explorations of user demographics and strategies for meeting the diverse needs of our shop communities
Networking opportunities to foster meaningful connections and shared problem solving
Expanded guided tours, including:
Engineering, Architecture, and Arts shops
NEW: Agriculture-based facilities, such as the chocolate production lab, dairy processing plant, and additional hands-on ag-tech environments
These tours offer firsthand exposure to varied safety challenges and training models across disciplines.
Conference Themes
Shop Safety
Learn from industry experts and peers about safety techniques, risk mitigation strategies, and evolving best practices.
Programming
Discover creative and effective ideas for engagement, training, and inclusion within student shops and makerspaces.
Management
Discuss how different management styles shape shop culture, student learning outcomes, and overall safety.
Network with Peers
One of the most valued aspects of this conference is the opportunity to talk “shop” with like-minded professionals who understand the unique challenges—and rewards—of supporting student makers.
Registration Includes:
Entrance to all conference Presentations and Tours
Breakfast and Lunch on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Tour ticket and Transportation to and from Hearst Castle
Banquet Dinner on Tuesday night after Hearst Castle tour
Shuttle bus transportation to and from specified hotel locations to Cal Poly
Entrance to informal mixer on Monday night
Conference Website
https://www.myssmc.org/conference
Conference Goal
Our goal is to continue building a professional community that connects personnel from student shops and making spaces across a wide range of post-secondary institutions and disciplines. Together, we share case studies, exchange practical insights, and address challenges related to safety, training, inclusion, technology, finances, and equipment.
In the spirit of Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing, this conference emphasizes hands-on learning, real-world problem solving, and collaborative growth.
Conference Focus – Learn by Doing in Action
This year’s program deepens our focus on the safety concerns inherent in managing student shops and makerspaces, while also exploring practical strategies to support smooth daily operations.
We will evaluate traditional training methods, consider new models for diverse and evolving student populations, and work collectively toward our ongoing goal:
To establish shared directives that will ultimately shape a comprehensive Student Shop Safety Training Handbook.
Sessions will explore questions such as:
How do we empower students to safely and confidently design, machine, build, and assemble their work?
How can we create inclusive, effective training platforms that meet the needs of all learners?
How can our community of professionals better support one another in advancing safe making practices?
This year, we are pleased to feature a celebrity keynote speaker, whose insights on creativity, innovation, and risk awareness will help inspire our continued progress.
Who Will Attend
Faculty, staff, and students who oversee, utilize, or support academic making environments including machine shops, wood shops, sculpture studios, theater shops, makerspaces, and fabrication laboratories.
Environmental Health & Safety and Risk Management professionals responsible for oversight of making environments are also encouraged to attend.
What to Expect
Conference sessions are designed to reflect Learn by Doing: collaborative, practical, and hands-on.
Open-forum group discussions on safety training, tools, and materials
Explorations of user demographics and strategies for meeting the diverse needs of our shop communities
Networking opportunities to foster meaningful connections and shared problem solving
Expanded guided tours, including:
Engineering, Architecture, and Arts shops
NEW: Agriculture-based facilities, such as the chocolate production lab, dairy processing plant, and additional hands-on ag-tech environments
These tours offer firsthand exposure to varied safety challenges and training models across disciplines.
Conference Themes
Shop Safety
Learn from industry experts and peers about safety techniques, risk mitigation strategies, and evolving best practices.
Programming
Discover creative and effective ideas for engagement, training, and inclusion within student shops and makerspaces.
Management
Discuss how different management styles shape shop culture, student learning outcomes, and overall safety.
Network with Peers
One of the most valued aspects of this conference is the opportunity to talk “shop” with like-minded professionals who understand the unique challenges—and rewards—of supporting student makers.