It's an opportunity to get comfy, hang with old friends, meet some new ones, and learn how to do something from an artist, maker, or technologist from your community. The emphasis is on casual, but there are also opportunities to dive deep into the activity if you're really connecting with it.
Youth Maker Nights are an example of how we tailor our approach for pre-teens. They happen once a month on Fridays, and that Friday vibe is perfect for relaxing and experimenting with a new skill while enjoying a slice of pizza. Every month has a different theme (we often match Youth Maker Night themes with what's going on in our Gallery Shows).
<aside> 🤹🏾 Heard of HOMAGO? We based Youth Maker Nights on Mimi Ito's Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out framework. More on this in the Pedagogy section below.
</aside>
Pre-teens need more places where they can have fun, be safe, and make things! You can provide one of those places, and help the budding makers, artists, and innovators in your neighborhood find their passions and up their skills.
Plus, when they're properly promoted, Youth Maker Nights can be a big draw! They can help you reach new kids who might be interested in your other programs, too.
Friday nights from 5pm to 7pm
5-25 young people
Pre-teens and younger teens! Usually ages 10 to 14, and sometimes 15
Register ahead for free! No experience required, just bring yourself and your excitement for learning (and an appetite for pizza)
<aside> 🕑 Run of show for one Youth Maker Night: Assemble's Youth Maker Nights happen every second Friday of the month
20 minutes Casual hangout time as the pre-teens arrive
10 minutes Round of icebreakers, introduction of the guest expert and topic
35 minutes Making time! Guest expert leads the activity
10 minutes Snack and pizza break!
25 minutes More making and hanging out
10 minutes Discussion and sharing out
10 minutes Cleaning up (everybody helps)
</aside>
Pedagogy ?
We based Youth Maker Nights on the idea of Mizuko (“Mimi”) Ito and her colleagues' HOMAGO framework. Ito and her colleagues did an ethnographic study of over 700 young people. From interviews, they identified three types of learning activity that young people engage in when they use digital media:
They Hang Out with friends in social spaces, like Instagram and TikTok.
They Mess Around or tinker with digital media, like recording short videos, posting memes, and playing games online.
They Geek Out in online groups where they can explore their core interests and go deeper.
<aside> 🔎 Want even more about HOMAGO? Check out this guidebook produced by the Hive Learning Network and the National Museum of Mexican Art.
Oh, and buy the book that started the whole thing!
</aside>
Youth Maker Nights are all about creating a space where pre-teens can do these three things. During those pre-teen years, kids are at the crux of discovering their abilities. We create a casual environment where they can explore and direct their own learning.
We try to provide just the right amount of structure to the night's activity, with plenty of room for students to take it in their own direction.
People ?
Two key people that work together to make Youth Maker Nights happen are Coordinators and Guest Experts. They'll need to schedule and coordinate in the weeks and months before the big night, including working out a list of the materials that will be needed and creating a plan for an engaging, appropriate activity. The coordinator should also have a pizza and snacks plan that's aligned to the evening's timing.
Of course, you'll also need teachers on-hand during the program itself, to ensure that the guest expert isn't overwhelmed and the kids have the direction and help they need.
You may also find that many of your Partners don't offer any programming on Friday nights, so reach out to them and let them know that they can send their kids over to your place!
<aside> 🏦 Speaking of partners: Youth Maker Night started as a collaboration with the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh. The museum hosted Youth Maker Nights on the 1st or 3rd Friday of each month, and Assemble hosted them on the 2nd Friday. That way, kids could go to both places and find common approaches, and maybe even the same friendly faces!
</aside>
Place ?
Youth Maker Nights are all about creating a space where pre-teens can HOMAGO. That means we set up our place to ensure there's a relaxed, casual vibe. We make sure to have music playing as attendees come in and we do what we can to create an inviting, no-pressure atmosphere. Per the standard Assemble operating procedure, we greet everyone that comes in the door!
As you think about how your space is set up, you should be prepared to adapt to surprisingly large and surprisingly small group sizes: Friday nights and pre-teens are a recipe for unpredictability, so your Youth Maker Night could be a huge blow-out or an intimate affair, it's hard to know before the night-of. Registrations will tell you part of the picture, but if your Youth Maker Nights are free like ours are, you'll quickly learn that a sold-out free event isn't guaranteed to be packed.