120 minute read

Experiments set up conditions and then test one variable at a time. This chapter lays out our underlying conditions, and some of the variables that we’ve tested and that have stuck over time as we've experimented. If you’re interested in trying out the Assemble approach yourself, you'll want to read this chapter closely. This is our DNA: the parts and pieces that are essential to doing what we do. If you’re going to do Assemble, you have to be Assemble. That starts here.

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First up:

Pedagogy

Ground yourself in our approach to teaching and learning. Read about:

• How interdisciplinary learning explores ALL the connections

• Why culturally responsive teaching ****helps kids learn with their full, authentic selves

• The ways in which social emotional learning builds empathy and understanding

• The power of hands-on maker learning

• Why we teach 21st century skills

  Then:

People

Meet the people who make Assemble possible. Read about:

• Teachers teachers teachers! Finding and hiring them, training and developing them, teaching and caring for them, managing and sustaining them
• The coordinators who keep all the plates spinning
• Assemble's secret ingredient: guest experts
• How to engage with families and neighbors in ways that are respectful and sustaining
• Keeping it real (and really great) with volunteers and interns and board members, committees, and advisors

Third:

Place

Settle in and make space at the intersection of learning and community. Read about:

• How to make your place collaborative, dynamic, and flexible
• What it can mean to be a part of your neighborhood
• How to take your making on the road and bring it to their place
• How to get ahold of (and never stop organizing) all your stuff
• Connecting the dots and unlocking opportunities through your network

Next:

Practice

Find out how we put all this theory into practice. Read about: ****

• How to create a safe space by following three steps every time you run a program
• Why you've got to treat everyone as a learner and a teacher
• What it means to give kids agency in their learning, and build failure into the process
• Ideas to help you make it fun, and prepare to get messy
• A story about Assembling's magical ability to make the vernacular spectacular

Finally:

Practicalities

Finish up with the nuts and bolts that make the Assemble world go round. Read about:

• Tips and tricks for spreading the word about your program
• Why timing is everything when it comes to making this work
• How to make sure that everybody eats
• What we've learned about resources, whether times are tight, cash is flowing, or you're somewhere in between
• Strategies for keeping track of everybody

When you're done: Check out Start Assembling to read about the programs that bring all this stuff together.

Or, return to the table of contents Some Assembly Required to choose your own adventure.