Grow your creativity! In this introductory workshop, you’ll gather glass from the 2,100°F furnace and add color. Then guided by a skilled instructor, you will sculpt and blow your own unique glass succulents. No sunlight or soil required. This workshop is a fun introductory experience into hot glassblowing and hot glass sculpting. Each participant will craft two whimsical succulents, perfect for display, gifting, or brightening any space with a touch of glassy greenery.

TEENS ONLY workshops are a great introduction to the world of glassmaking, just for teens. Teens will step into the PGC studios and explore the heat, color, and creativity of working with glass in the flame shop, hot shop, kiln shop, or cold shop– alongside other teens. Teens can come solo and make new friends who share an interest in glassmaking, or sign up with a friend to share in the experience.

Looking for a more in-depth experience? Check out our afterschool SiO₂ classes, full-day MOLTN workshops, or summer boot camp for even more hands-on glassmaking fun.

PGC is committed to facilitating access for all young people. We offer full- and half-tuition scholarships for middle school and high school students based on application strength. No previous glass or art experience is required. Our only prerequisites are enthusiasm, curiosity, and eagerness to learn.

APPLY NOW for a youth scholarship at this link.

An 8-week curriculum, accelerated into just 4 weeks.

Explore glassblowing in just 4-weeks! Learn to gather molten glass from the furnace, and then sculpt it into various forms, from paperweights to simple blown shapes, like cups and bowls.

Focus will be placed on the team approach to glassblowing and will emphasize safety, proper tool use, basic techniques, and materials.

This class is appropriate whether you have limited hot shop experience or none at all. You will experience the same number of contact hours as students attending the once-a-week, 8-week classes, but in a condensed, 4-week format.

There are two options: One class meets twice a week on both Tuesday and Thursday; the other is a longer day on Saturdays.

 Ages 14+

An 8-week curriculum, accelerated into just 4 weeks.

After learning the basics of stained glass construction in the introductory or intermediate stained glass classes, we invite you to continue to develop your skills in Stained Glass Open Projects. This is a class for those who want to challenge themselves to explore the art of stained glass at their own skill level under the guidance of an instructor. Class projects will be limited to no larger than 16"x18" and students may be required to purchase some of their own materials if the studio glass selection does not meet their specific needs.

You will experience the same number of contact hours as students attending the once-a-week, 8-week classes, but in a condensed, 4-week format.

Class tuition includes 1 session of open-studio time per student to be used during the 4-week course period if needed to complete your project.

Prerequisite: Introduction to Stained Glass or 24 hours of stained glass experience with instructor permission is required.

Ages 14+

PGC 102

Spend an unforgettable and fun week this summer diving into the world of glass.This program is designed for teens in grades 6 - 9 to take over the Pittsburgh Glass Center studios. It gives students the rare hands-on opportunity to learn the many facets of glass in one of the top facilities in the country. Working with experienced instructors, students will rotate through all of the studios and explore glassblowing, flameworking, kilnforming, and coldworking. New this year, students will also connect glass and technology in the fabrication lab.

Find out more about the program schedule and Teen Boot Camp Policies here: https://www.pittsburghglasscenter.org/teen-boot-camp-policies/

Scholarships are available for all students! Scholarship Application Deadline: May 3, 2026.

This 11-day class* will move between making blanks in the hot shop that will then be worked in the cold shop. We will explore techniques that specifically incorporate blown and carved techniques: cameo carving and Graal. We will also demonstrate and explore other techniques such as cane pulling and cane application in the hot shop, vessel blowing for coldworkers, diamond wheel carving, sandblasting, and creating various surface finishes.

Overall we will be asking students to be intentional about the form, pattern, and texture of the work they will be making. Our aim is to explore a little of what is possible. Perhaps it will expand your repertoire. Perhaps this is your opportunity to refine your skills. It will be these three elements that will drive the direction of what you explore during the class but working in new ways and trying new combinations will be encouraged.

Students should be prepared with ideas and drawings to get the most out of this class. Discussion of ideas and drawings will be a part of this class.

Advanced level glassblowing is preferred and basic cold working skills are fine.

*Class runs Monday through Saturday for the first week, and Monday through Friday for the second week.

Evening Open Studio

Studios are open until 9:30PM for students to practice. Depending on the class, process, and techniques, this time might be highly suggested by instructors for students to use. In other classes, this time might be considered optional.

For more information, please review Summer Intensives.

Learn more about Ben Edols and Kathy Elliott at www.edolselliott.com