SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – At South Tahoe High School, it’s not unusual for more than half of students to graduate and stay in the community. In a town shaped by tourism, small businesses are the backbone of the local economy – and where many young people will build their futures. But in a region where costs are high and work is seasonal, many new businesses struggle to last beyond their first year.
For Isaiah Tannaci, Career Technical Education (CTE) Department Chair, that reality raises an important question.
Tasked by the school board to integrate entrepreneurship across its CTE pathways and supported by a Strong Workforce Program grant, he began to think beyond traditional classroom learning.
Provided
“For those staying in our community, how do we give them the opportunity for higher wages and sustainable living?” he said. “How do we help them envision a future where they don’t just take a job, but create something that lasts?”
While his initial idea was to open a retail space where students could design and sell products to test what might work, it eventually became clear they needed something else: a makerspace where they could develop, experiment, and refine their ideas before stepping out into the real world.
Around the same time, just a few miles away, the Marcella Foundation was asking similar questions.
Founded by Sean Fannan, a South Tahoe High graduate who went on to become a successful tech entrepreneur in San Francisco, the Marcella Foundation focuses on improving food access, literacy, and youth mentorship in the community.
As Melissa Uppendahl, Executive Director, recalled: “As our youth progress in their education, we asked ourselves, ‘How do we support them in what comes next in their lives?’ We imagined them moving from being learners to creators and innovators – in a space where they can tinker, prototype, fail, and iterate. The makerspace is really where that idea comes to life.”
So when Tannaci reached out to discuss funding for South Tahoe High’s vision of a makerspace, the timing felt unmistakable.
It was, as both described it, a moment of serendipity – two ideas taking shape independently, then coming together at exactly the right time. So they decided to build the makerspace together.
That partnership is now coming together through the Atrium, a 10,000-square-foot building that once housed a thrift store and will soon serve as the new home for the Marcella Foundation and its programs.
When it opens in late 2026, the Atrium will house a commercial kitchen, food storage and distribution hub, community space, and a fully equipped makerspace with tools and technologies many students would not otherwise have access to – from laser cutters, 3D printers, and sewing machines to a woodshop, metal shop, photography studio, electronics lab, and bike and snow gear repair stations.
All students in grades 9–12 in South Lake Tahoe will have access to the makerspace at no cost.
On the Road Before the Doors Open
To make the makerspace a reality, the team conducted a national search and found Joseph Minnich, a self-described “serial makerspace builder” who has done this before at universities across the country.
“Makerspaces are the ultimate place where you can go to build or fix anything,” Minnich said. “But more importantly, they’re places where you learn how to take an idea and turn it into something real.”
While the Atrium is still under renovation, Minnich has already taken the concept on the road. Using a truck and trailer outfitted with tools, his mobile makerspace brings hands-on projects directly into classrooms, working with teachers to make abstract concepts easier to understand.
For example, students learning geometry didn’t just memorize formulas – they cut and assembled cardboard pieces into hands-on tools to test angles and proportions and see how the math worked. “If you can build something to prove a scientific principle, it’s a pure form of learning and mastery,” he said.
When the Atrium opens, students will have access to more possibilities than ever before. For Uppendahl, it comes back to what the makerspace represents.
“We want students to walk into a space that inspires them,” she said. “A place where they feel capable and can try something new and realize they can actually make it happen.”
For Tannaci, it comes back to fostering an entrepreneurial mindset.
“My dream is that this becomes the incubator for local businesses here in Tahoe,” he said. “Where students can start, find something that works, and then take it out into the community.”
For a place where many students choose to stay, it’s a chance to build something of their own – close to home, starting with an idea and the tools to bring it to life.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — In 2025, the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District (NLTFPD), in partnership with the Incline Village General Improvement District (IVGID), launched the 176.5-acre Worm Project, a wildfire fuels reduction initiative named for the long, narrow shape of the treatment area.
The project is creating an intensively managed forest buffer around neighborhoods above Highway 431 in Incline Village, extending from private property boundaries onto IVGID and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) lands. By reducing hazardous vegetation, the project helps lower wildfire risk, improve firefighter access, and strengthen the protection of lives, homes, and critical infrastructure.
Work includes thinning understory vegetation and removing smaller, suppressed trees while retaining approximately 10–15% of native brush in a mosaic pattern. This approach supports wildlife habitat, protects soil stability and water quality, and preserves the area’s natural forest character.
Phase 1, encompassing 62.6 acres, was completed in July 2025. Phase 2, covering the remaining 113.9 acres, is scheduled to begin July 20, 2026, and is expected to be completed by September 2026. The work will be performed using hand crews and low-impact, remotely operated mastication equipment operated by a qualified contractor to minimize disturbance while efficiently reducing hazardous fuels.
Phase 1 was fully funded by IVGID. Funding for Phase 2 is supported through multiple partnerships, including:
A State of Nevada A.B. 578 Better Together Nevada Shared Stewardship Grant, administered by the Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF), funding 94.9 acres with a 10% funding match from IVGID.
A U.S. Forest Service Hazardous Fuels–Community Protection Grant, administered by NDF, funding 10.9 acres with a 50% funding match from IVGID.
A Stewardship Agreement between NLTFPD and the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit supporting treatment of the remaining 8.1 acres.
“The Worm Project is an important investment in the long-term safety and resilience of the Incline Village community. While no single project can eliminate the risk of wildfire, strategic fuels reduction significantly improves our ability to slow fire spread, provide firefighters with safer and more effective access, and better protect lives, homes, and critical infrastructure,” said Fire Chief Ryan Sommers. “As wildfire seasons continue to become longer and more complex, proactive forest management remains one of the most effective tools available to reduce wildfire risk. Projects like the Worm Project complement defensible space efforts on private property, creating a more resilient landscape where neighborhoods and surrounding forests work together to withstand wildfire. We appreciate the community’s patience and support as this important work takes place.”
For project updates, wildfire preparedness information, and other community announcements, visit www.nltfpd.org and follow the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Serving the community since 1989, Bread & Broth is an all-volunteer charitable organization and ministry of St. Theresa Church. With a mission to ease hunger, Bread & Broth (B&B) provides two hot, nutritious meals each week and helps feed food-insecure children, ages 18 months through 18 years, throughout the year.
In 2011, the Adopt A Day of Nourishment (AAD) program was launched to help financially support the weekly Monday Meal and to encourage local individuals, families, organizations, and businesses to participate and experience the impact of their AAD donation on those who attend the free weekly meal. In addition to enjoying a healthy, full-course dinner, dinner guests receive two to three bags of nutritious food to take home for meals later in the week.
Left to right: Jorge Villasenor, Erik Furr, Edina Groza, Stefan Sleapca. Provided / Bread and Broth
On July 13, Forest Suites Resort was the AAD sponsor for the Monday Meal. Forest Suites has hosted a Monday Meal annually since 2019. Located in Heavenly Village, Forest Suites is a welcoming resort destination convenient to both winter and summer activities. The resort offers guest rooms, suites, and condo rentals that are family and pet friendly and many vacation amenities. Creating an enjoyable and memorable experience is the goal of the resort’s team members.
Forest Suites Resort team members Erik Furr, Edina Groza, Stefan Sleapca, and Jorge Villasenor brought their customer-service spirit to their Monday Meal tasks and greatly enhanced the dining experience for the guests. The B&B volunteer staff and Adopt A Day crew members create a friendly, inviting, and comfortable environment. For many Bread & Broth dinner guests, the Monday Meal is a weekly opportunity to enjoy a filling and tasty meal prepared for them, much like dining at a restaurant.
Bread & Broth truly appreciates the generous financial support of Forest Suites Resort and its willingness to provide hardworking and thoughtful members of its team the opportunity to serve their fellow community members. Not only does the meal have an impact on those being served, but it is also a rewarding and eye-opening experience for those who volunteer their time and effort. Taking a break from the serving line, Erik shared, “Makes you feel very thankful for what you have!”
To learn more about Bread & Broth, donate, sponsor an Adopt A Day of Nourishment or volunteer, visit www.breadandbroth.org, or follow Bread & Broth on Instagram or Facebook.
ZEPHYR COVE, Nev. — The Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe (BGCLT) announces the opening of a new after-school and vacation program at Zephyr Cove Elementary School, extending its high-quality youth programming to the Nevada side of the South Shore. The new site will initially serve students in Pre-K through 5th grade.
The program will run from the end of the school day until 6 p.m. on regular school days, and all day during school vacations, giving working families a safe, consistent place for their children throughout the year.
Zephyr Cove youth members will enjoy the same enriching programming offered at the Club’s California sites, with a focus on homework support, STEM, art, recreation, and character and leadership development. The Club holds itself to high standards for safety and is excited to provide a safe, fun, and educational place for children to be while their parents are at work.
Thanks to the generosity of a donor, membership will be free for families earning under $100,000 per year, with a sliding fee scale available for all other families. The program operates on a membership model, with families enrolling for the full school year at one flat rate. Additional fees will apply for summer and school breaks.
Enrollment opens on Monday, August 3 and will continue until the program is full. Families who enroll before the start of the school year will receive a free t-shirt to celebrate the new site. Accepted youth members can start attending on the first day of school, Monday, August 17th. An open house and tour for families will be shared at a later date.
“We are delighted that with this expansion, all children on the South Shore will be served by high-quality after-school programming,” said Jude Wood, the CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe. “This new site supports working families and helps make our excellent local schools even stronger.”
Families must enroll their members to attend the Club. Zephyr Cove Elementary families can enroll starting Monday, August 3 (note: families who attend elementary and middle school in Lake Tahoe Unified School District must submit their enrollment application by Monday, July 27). Learn more and enroll at bgclt.org.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The City of South Lake Tahoe Arts, Culture, and Tourism (ACT) Commission is inviting community members to share their feedback through the Arts, Culture, and Public Art Survey.
The survey is designed to help the City better understand how residents, visitors, artists, businesses, and community partners engage with arts and culture in South Lake Tahoe. Feedback gathered will help inform future efforts related to arts programming, cultural experiences, public art, and opportunities to strengthen creative expression throughout the community.
“Arts and culture should reflect the diverse voices, experiences, and creativity of our community,” said Stacey Ballard, Chair, ACT Commission. “This survey will help us identify opportunities, understand barriers, and support arts and cultural experiences that are meaningful and accessible to more people in South Lake Tahoe.”
The survey asks participants to share what types of arts, culture, and public art they value most, how they currently participate, and what opportunities could help more people connect with local arts and culture.
Community members are encouraged to complete the survey and share it with others who live, work, visit, create, or do business in South Lake Tahoe.
Input received through the survey will assist the Arts, Culture, and Tourism Commission as it considers future recommendations, priorities, and opportunities to support arts, culture, and public art in South Lake Tahoe.
