The Computer Clubhouse Technological Fluency in Underserved Youth

1
The Computer Clubhouse- Technological Fluency in
Underserved Youth

• Tara Willersdorf
• Computer Clubhouse Coordinator
• Fitzroy Computer Clubhouse

2
Resources

• The Computer Clubhouse Technological Fluency in
  the Inner City
• Mitchel Resnick, MIT Media Laboratory
• Natalia Rusk, Science Museum of Minnesota
• Stina Cooke, The Computer Museum
• Published in High Technology and Low-income
  Communities
• edited by D. Schon, B. Sanyal, and W. Mitchell
  MIT Press, 1998.
• (link available on fitzroylearningnetwork.org.au/
  cclub website)
• Hear Our Voices Girls and Technology at the
  Computer Clubhouse
• Final Report of the Evaluation
• Sumru Erkut Fern Marx
• Wellesley Centers for Women, October 2005
• www.computerclubhouse.org

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Computer Clubhouses Facilitating Technological
Fluency in Underserved Youth

• Background
• Fitzroy Computer Clubhouse
• Intel Computer Clubhouse Network
• Technological Fluency
• Clubhouse Guiding Principles
• Sustainability
• Where to next?

4
A Computer Clubhouse is.A FREE design studio
for young people.
5
Fitzroy Computer Clubhouse

• A member of the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network,
  a project of MIT Media Lab and Museum of Science,
  Boston.
• A program of the Fitzroy Learning Network since
  2000.
• Open 5 days a week during term time, 3pm-630pm,
  until 7pm Wednesdays and Fridays.
• Employs a full-time Computer Clubhouse
  Coordinator

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Vital Statistics

• The Clubhouse has over 120 active members from
  over 18 different cultural backgrounds.
• 11 volunteer mentors.
• 49 of members are female.
• 45 of members are teenagers.
• Most members are from refugee or migrant
  backgrounds.
• 91 of members speak English as a second
  language.
• 80 of Clubhouse members are from the Fitzroy
  Atherton Gardens Council Estate.

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Clubhouse Mission

• The Computer Clubhouse provides a creative and
  safe after-school learning environment where
  young people from underserved communities work
  with adult Mentors to explore their own ideas,
  develop skills, and build confidence in
  themselves through the use of technology.

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Intel Computer Clubhouse Network

• Using the "original" Clubhouse as a model, the
  Intel Computer Clubhouse Network supports
  community-based Clubhouses around the world,
  providing thousands of youth with access to
  resources, skills, and experiences to help them
  succeed in their careers, contribute to their
  communities, and lead outstanding lives.

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Intel Computer Clubhouse Network

• Established in 1993.
• In 1999 secured funding with the Intel
  Foundation.
• Flagship Clubhouse in Boston, MA, USA.
• Over 100 Computer Clubhouses around the world.
• All members, mentors and staff have access to
  safe online environment, the computer clubhouse
  village.
• All clubhouse staff have access to comprehensive
  resources, orientation training in Boston, annual
  conference and a network liaison through network
  staff.
• Every 2 years, Intel supports a Teen Summit a
  gathering of over 300 teen clubhouse members
  around the world in Boston.

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Clubhouse Locations

• Fitzroy Computer Clubhouse first in Australia.
• New Clubhouse now located at Meadow Heights
  Learning Centre, Meadow Heights, Victoria.

Source www.computerclubhouse.org
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Technological Fluency Introduction

• Technological fluency means much more than the
  ability to use technological tools that would be
  equivalent to understanding a few common phrases
  in a language. Resnick et al.
• Why is it important in youth?
• How does the Fitzroy Computer Clubhouse
  encourage this?
• Applying the Clubhouse Guiding Principles to the
  Fitzroy Computer Clubhouse

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Guiding Principles

• Principle 1 Learning By Designing
• Principle 2 Following Your Interests
• Principle 3 Building a Community
• Principle 4 Respect and Trust

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Principle 1- Learning by Designing

• Design Activities
• Engage youth as active participants
• Encourage creative problem-solving
• Facilitate personal connections to knowledge
• Are often interdisciplinary
• Promote a sense of audience
• Provide a context for reflection and discussion

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Principle 1 Learning by Designing Robot Wars

• Faciltated by teen member, Keaton, 13.
• Skills utilised-
• Problem-solving (and perseverance)
• Engineering
• Programming
• Leadership
• Group work
• Safety (looking out for cords, not starting robot
  on the table so it falls off and smashes into
  many pieces)
• Reflection next time Id do this

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Principle 2 Following your interests

• An interest is a terrible thing to waste
  (Robert Schank, 1994)
• The same young people who seem to have a short
  attention span in school and find it hard to be
  punctual to anything often spend hours a day
  practicing soccer skills and will never miss
  practice. Why? And how can we tap into this great
  resource?
• When youth care about what they are working on,
  rather than being pushed to learn, youth will
  work on their own, seeking out ideas and advice.
  They will also develop deeper understandings and
  richer connections to knowledge.

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Principle 3 Building a community

• Everyone learns from each other
• Young people witness adults learning
• Adult volunteers work as mentors, sharing not
  only skills, but interests, and one-on-one
  support to assist with problem solving.
• Members often work in groups, but they evolve
  organically and members may participate in all or
  only part of the process.

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Principle 3 Building a community Girls Day
Party October 2008
Clubhouse leaders assisting members in filling in
surveys about girls day.
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Principle 3 Building a community Girls Day
Party October 2008
Members and mentor working together on laminating
bookmarks the member has designed.
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Principle 3 Building a community Girls Day
Party October 2008
Activities were set up at the beginning of the
day and members could choose what and with whom
they would participate.
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Principle 3 Building a community Girls Day
Party October 2008
Members are discussing their work with each other.
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Principle 4 Respect and Trust

• Respect includes respect for people, respect for
  ideas, respect for the tools and equipment.
• Members are made to feel safe to experiment,
  explore and innovate.
• Youth are given time to play out their ideas
• it is understood that ideas (and people) need
  time to develop

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Recent Successes

• 3 members were accepted into selective entry
  school Melbourne Girls High these girls were
  assisted by mentors and staff with the admission
  process. 1 member will commence at Melbourne
  Girls High in 2009 she was assisted with her
  application by one of the Clubhouse members.
• 1 member secured work experience in a city
  architecture firm
• A member won a US2500 C2C scholarship and is now
  attending university and is a Clubhouse Mentor.
• A female member won a new laptop after submitting
  a video in the Channel Nines Today Show My
  News competition.
• Male teenage member offered a scholarship to St.
  Kevins College.
• A female member successfully applied for a place
  at Melbourne University Summer School. Due to her
  refugee background she was awarded a bursary.
• All members are currently involved in some form
  of education, training or employment.

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Where to Next?

• Sustainability Securing Funding for next 3 yrs
• Careers Day
• Y Event 09
• Secure Work Experience
• C2C scholarships
• Training of new Teen Mentors and Clubhouse
  Leaders
• Projects with a purpose- creating with specific
  audience in mind, film festivals, competitions,
  expanding portfolios, professional work.

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Technological Fluency Summary

• Clubhouse Structure Access is not enough
• Mentors / one-on-one support make all the
  difference
• Working with mentors, members become designers
  and creators when a clubhouse implements the
  principles-
• Learning by Designing
• Following Your Interests
• Building a Community
• Respect and Trust
• Creating Not Consuming

25
Save the Date!

• See more of the members moving masterpieces at-
• The Fitzroy Computer Clubhouse Moving Image and
  Film Festival
• 198 Napier St, Fitzroy Learning Network
• Please RSVP

26
Thanks to our supporters

• SchooKIT
• Department for Victorian Communities
• Atomic Learning
• Sophos
• MIT Media Lab and Lifelong Kindergarten
• Kino Dendy Cinemas
• Toshiba Australia
• William Buckland Foundation
• Brendcorp Foundation
• Brockhoff Foundation
• Pilotlight

• Fitzroy Learning Network
• Clubhouse Network
• NAB
• Portland House Foundation
• Scanlon Foundation
• Edsoft
• The Myer Foundation
• Computelec
• Adobe
• Samsung DigitAll Hope
• Bendigo Bank - Clifton Hill/ North Fitzroy
  Community Bank Branch

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Thank you!

• Tara Willersdorf
• Computer Clubhouse Coordinator
• Fitzroy Computer Clubhouse
• tara_at_fitzroylearningnetwork.org.au
• [phone]
• www.fitzroylearningnetwork.org.au