[hackerspaces] Children in hackerspaces.

[Rose White]

Hi! I'm so happy to hear about experiences with kids at different
hackerspaces. I can offer that Matt exclaimed with laughter because, for a
few weeks, it seemed like the subject of "kids at NYC Resistor" was going to
pull our wonderful hackerspace completely apart in arguments.

Some hackerspaces don't allow anyone under 18, but in San Francisco, the
Crucible (http://thecrucible.org/) which teaches *welding* and other
dangerous things (like firebreathing! squee!), has classes for kids as young
as 12.

Love the stories from syn2cat! Yay kiddos!

And in the North Bay (near Santa Rosa and Sebastopol), a few of us are
trying to set up a small hackerspace that is primarily meant *for*
kids/teens. We want to help the kids involved figure out how to
self-organize the space, after we give them some guidance to start.

Peace, love, and dreams of the future --

-- Rose/yarnivore

On Sun, Jan 24, 2010 at 12:30 PM, Steve Clement <steve at localhost.lu> wrote:

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> webmind wrote:
> > In reaction to:
> > "A topic which I would love to raise at some point in the near future - -
> > 'children in hackerspaces'."
>
> We here at syn2cat do a lot with Kids in and around our HackerSpace.
>
> The last thing we did was a Soldering workshop with 10-12 year olds and
> it was a full success. And guess what, they did burn their fingers and
> did not spontaneously combust! FTW!
>
> We were 3 "supervisors" for 12 Kids. Mostly for convenience so they can
> ask us questions and we can properly help.
>
> The only important thing we had to do is explain the ground rules and
> that in case they burn themselves they need to tell us and we'll fix em'
> up.
>
> As this was a School Class the "School" Paid for everything which
> covered our investments into the Kits etc.
>
> I guess working with Kids needs a lot of common sense. It comes without
> saying that we will NOT let them "fire the Lazor!!" or hand everyone a
> chainsaw for the fun of it.
>
> And yes the younger they are the more they like to draw stuff.
>
>
> I gave one entry-level IT Security course for Kids. And I was overwelmed
> by the Fact that there were 20 of them and I wasn't ready yet and they
> were impatient so I handed them paper and colors. Then told them to draw
> me a Computer Virus and a Computer Worm.
>
> It was pretty impressive how they interprete these terms ;)
>
> Anyway, we at syn2cat are available for any help or questions you might
> have related to Kids and Hacking.
>
> Our next bigger project (starting in 3 weeks) is an Electronics workshop
> for 12-15 year old girls.
>
> If anyone has more experience working with Girls (and what they actually
> like and enjoy) we would be more than happy to hear more about that on
> another Thread.
>
> cheers,
>
> Steve
>
> - --
> The Hackerspace in Luxembourg!
> syn2cat Hackerspace.lu A.S.B.L.
> 11, am Hueflach | L-8018 Strassen
> http://www.hackerspace.lu
> xmpp:SteveClement at jabber.hackerspaces.org<xmpp%3ASteveClement at jabber.hackerspaces.org>
> mailto:steve at hackerspace.lu
> .lu: +352 20 333 55 65
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