Welcome to Maker Guilds!
We started off on this journey as Maker Scouts and as we heard back from communities around the world, we realized that our work was bigger than we had initially envisioned. Communities told us that they are looking for assistance to create maker guilds that would allow them to hold programs for young children, older children, parents and educators in addition to the curriculum, narratives, pedagogy and activities that we already provide.
So, we have changed our name to reflect the expanded work that we are doing – MAKER GUILDS.
We have several programs under this new name:
Our Maker Kids Family Program:
Maker Sprouts – for ages 4-8
Maker Tribes – for ages 8 +
Tinker.Make.Innovate Labs - Events for Families , Educators and Adults
Maker Guilds for Schools and Libraries
Maker Guilds is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help communities provide pathways and opportunities for children, educators and parents to use making and tinkering materials and tools that incorporate Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math ( STEAM) as Languages of Self Expression. We do this by providing activities for events, curriculum for weekly after school programs, educator programs, and parent education.
We offer our experience gained over the last 3 years of Making and Tinkering in Los Angeles with thousands of children, parents and educators as possibilities for local guilds around the country to bring to their communities.
Our team consists of educators from Preschool, Elementary School, Middle School and High School. Makers of all kinds – engineers, scientists, artists, mathematicians etc.
Why Does Maker Guilds Exist? Our future is more unknown than ever. How do we prepare our children for future jobs using technology that hasn’t been developed yet to solve problems that we don’t know are problems yet. How to make humanity sustainable? How can we help our children to be flexible to adapt in an ever rapidly changing economic environment?
Our current education system has squeezed hands- on learning out of the classroom. Its antiquated mission to create rule following factory workers is endangering future generations while skills like creativity, innovative thinking, critical thinking and risk-taking are not being rewarded, practiced or encouraged in our classrooms.
Arts education has become victims to budget cuts and now our children are not only falling behind in science, technology, engineering and math as compared to their international peers, but not even really interested in these types of careers.
Instant gratification toys, kits, activities and experiences are diluting the tenacity, grit, ” I do it” attitude that babies seem to be pre-programmed with and being replaced with ” I can’t do it”, ” Im not good at it”, ” I won’t try because I don’t want to fail”.
The latest in brain research tells us that what the young brain is exposed in early childhood determines which neurons are fired and connected and in middle childhood which are pruned.
Maker Guilds provide opportunities for educators, families, scientists, artists, and makers to come together in local communities to have a say in the sustainability of our future.
Maker Guilds Programs?
Our Maker Kids Programs – Maker Sprouts and Maker Tribes programs are weekly after school programs that provide children the opportunity to develop relationships with materials ( Tinker ) and tools and build skills ( Make ) on their way to realizing their original ideas and designs ( Innovate ). Maker Guilds provides projects and guides to enable local communities to build local Maker Sprouts and Maker Tribes programs. We are dedicated to making the barrier to entry so low that anyone can start on in their family room, garage, library, store front or back or maker space, fab labs, hacker spaces etc. We provide Make-It startup boxes for Guild leaders to see the possibilities and have made deals with suppliers and vendors to provide the lowest cost materials and tools possible.
The Tinker.Make.Innovate Lab program is for guilds that are not looking for a weekly program but rather events that they can provide for their community. We assist in marketing, activities, and materials. These events can provide opportunity for families, educators or even just adults to develop relationships with materials, tools and Science, Technology, Engineering Art and Math languages.
What do Maker Guilds do? Activities are designed to enable makers from 4 years old and up to become safe, proficient users of making tools and materials while building a library of self-expression languages.
Maker Guilds TINKER with making materials like wood, paper, clay, wire, circuits, food, just a name a few, to build a working relationships with the materials. Maker Guilds MAKE robots, sew upcycled clothing , play with circuits, invent games, use e-textiles, build with wood, metal, plastic, make cardboard creations, play with food, tinker with real tools, shoot off rockets, invent real world solutions to real world problems and so much more. Maker Guilds INNOVATE using skills attained to design and build independent projects that become their vehicles of self expression.
Maker Guilds practice LIFE VALUES in Play, Work and Community.
Maker Guilds develop FRIENDSHIPS and SOCIAL SKILLS. They create their own community of like-minded “peeps”.The program also provides young people learning opportunities that foster the development of the Innovator Mindset– embracing failure, frustration tolerance, communication, collaboration, creativity and empathy in the form of Life Values.
With the Maker Tribes and Adults, we provide ROADMAPS to attain skills required to make a particular project. Rather than individual skill badges, we have badges for mastery in tools and materials. This allows kids who are beginning to know who to ask for help.
How do I start a Maker Guild? We are so excited to work together to formulate the best practices for Tinkering Making and Innovating with children. Just as we honor the image of the child as capable and unique, we believe that each community has much to offer in terms of skills, experience and passion. To get started, co-leaders can either register the guild using the form in the right column or contact jean@makersguilds.org to arrange a google hangout where she will share more information with you and answer any questions you might have.
There is a $50/year licensing fee to register the guild. Included in the first year fee is a Start Up – Make-It box that includes basic electronic components.
A Map is coming soon. In the meantime, you can email jean@makersguild.org
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