Frequently Asked Questions

UNCA STEAM Studio can be found at
821 Riverside Drive, Asheville NC 28801

We are located in the South Building of the RAMP Studios.

Enter the South Building at the glass doors in the alley between the buildings at the Riverside Drive crosswalk. We are halfway down the hallway on the left.

You can park at any of the following locations:

• Behind the North RAMP building. Pull down the alley at the crosswalk on Riverside Drive between the buildings.

• At the north end of the North Building, near Ginger’s Revenge and Asheville Art Supply.

• At the south end of the South Building, by French Broad Chocolate Factory. Enter the building near the rolling doors to the right of FBCF’s entrance.

• Parallel to Riverside, next to the South Building. Watch for No Parking signs.

• Across the street in the paid flat lot near the crosswalk. Look for STEAM STUDIO PARKING Signs (free!).

Sign up for our newsletter! (Scroll down to the bottom of the page, and add your email!) We send out notifications when new programs are added, and when registration goes live.

We also use Instagram and Facebook to announce news, advertise classes, feature projects, and show off the cool things we’re up to!

We use Eventbrite for class registration, which allows credit card payment. For classes not listed on Eventbrite, we are able to take payment in person - cash, card, or check.

Signing up for the newsletter is the best way to be informed about new classes. The link to sign up for the newsletter is at the bottom of this page.

STEAM Studio is an active studio with safety regulations required for all participants.

• Clothing must cover the torso. No crop tops, no backless shirts.

• Closed-toe and closed-heel shoes are required (no sandals, no Crocs).

• No loose clothing or hoodie ties, jewelry, or headphones around the equipment. 

• Long hair? Bring a hair tie, please!

• Safety glasses are required (provided) while in certain areas of the studio.

• Ear protection is available for when we get noisy!

• Clothes may get dusty, rusty, painty, or dirty, so please plan accordingly.
  
  

• Welding Students, please wear: 

  • Natural fiber clothing (cotton, denim). No yoga pants.

  • Long pants.

  • Socks that cover your ankles.

  • Leather boots or shoes, if available. No mesh top shoes.

  • Questions? Please Ask.

  • We have additional safety attire for you to wear, but it’s helpful to have a good base layer!
    
    

• Please be aware that students with inappropriate attire may not be able to participate that day.

We do have safety glasses and ear muffs or plugs for you to borrow!

However, everyone’s face is shaped differently, there are many different brands and shapes (ones that fit over your prescription lens, made small for small faces, or have other awesome features). It’s well worth the investment to acquire your very own safety gear that fits you well and is comfortable for long periods of time.

Safety glasses are relatively inexpensive, and can be found at many big box and local hardware stores. Look for glasses marked “Z87” somewhere on the lens or stems to be sure they are impact resistant.

For earplugs or earmuffs, look for noise reduction ratings (NRR) in the high 20s to mid 30s. The higher the number, the more noise reduction. Ear protection should be comfortable for your body, so sometimes finding the right fit takes some trial and error.

Want some recommendations? Our staff can talk for hours on this topic!

This depends on the class you’re taking!

Our studio has hundreds of different types of tools and your instructors have carefully curated the class experience for you. Check our after-school, summer camp, or adult workshop pages for more information on the individual classes. The class pages list a ton of information, including learning outcomes, the different tools specific to different classes, and even information about your instructors.

Yes, boys can enroll in our classes and camps.

While our program was established to address historical inequalities faced by girls and non-binary kids in access to tools and trade skills, and many of our instructors are women and non-binary, SkillSet welcomes students of all genders to come learn with us.

Wow, what an amazing question – thank you for asking!

There are many ways to support this important work. Monetary donations can go a long way, and help us offset operating costs so that we can provide more income-based and scholarship-driven opportunities for individuals in need of financial assistance. We also accept donations of building materials, bulk snacks, and tools.

Please check out our Support Our Work page for more information, or email skillset@unca.edu with specific questions.

Just like welders or drills, cell phones are a tool that are sometimes appropriate to use during programming for design research or inspiration. However, we also have 2 computer labs for this activity.

• When possible, we ask that students not bring cell phones into the studio.

• We may ask that students leave cell phones in a secure central location during programming to prevent distraction while using dangerous tools. 

• If students refuse or violate cell phone rules during programming, we may ask that they sit out of activities, or leave class / camp.

• In case of emergency, all instructors have phones to make outbound calls. Additionally, if you need to reach your student during programming, SkillSet Coordinator Amanda Simons can be reached at 828-258-7957. This number rings their cell phone but cannot accept text messages. 

Student Code of Conduct 

We ask that all students:

• Respect the Tools

• Respect the Space

• Respect One Another

• Follow Directions
  
  

And understand that:

• Learning is (sometimes) Hard

Behavior Consequences

• Students will be required to listen to and follow directions of the instructors. 

• Our studio environment contains tools and equipment that can be dangerous if mishandled.

• We also take emotional safety very seriously. Students will be asked to treat one another respectfully. Inappropriate language and/or disrespectful actions are not tolerated.

• Failure to follow directions or abide by safety rules will result in being asked to sit out for the duration of the class, or leave the class / camp.