The 2015 Young Makers season in the Bay Area concluded with a wonderful showing of Young Makers and their projects at Maker Faire in late May 2015. For more information, check out our Young Makers buzz blog post as well as the 2015 Project Gallery.
The information below refers to events and opportunities that have passed. Stay tuned for new updates in winter 2015!
Take part in exciting regional gatherings and events that will enable you to meet nearby makers and maker clubs, share your project progress, and collaborate with others — all in preparation for Maker Faire Bay Area on May 15-17, 2015.
In order for Young Makers to exhibit at Maker Faire Bay Area, we expect that clubs will have registered on our Young Makers club directory and will attend at least one of the regional gatherings. The application to exhibit at Maker Faire is available here.
If you have questions about the Young Makers program in general, or outside of the Bay Area, please contact youngmakers@makered.org. We’ll have exciting news about new pilot programs in the near future.
PAST OPPORTUNITIES
Friday, Saturday, & Sunday, May 15, 16, 17, 2015: Exhibition at Maker Faire!
Maker Faire Bay Area (San Mateo, CA)
Friday from 1pm to 7pm
Saturday from 10am to 8pm
Sunday from 10am to 6pm
Applications for Young Makers are open!
The deadline for applications is April 27.
All details will be finalized and sent out to participants by May 1.
Sunday, April 26, 2015: East Bay regional gathering
1pm to 4pm at Girl Scout’s Hayward Cabin. This is a unique opportunity! Maker Ed joins forces with Girl Scouts, and this event will mix together these two great communities and hopefully inspire a new group of young makers.
Current Young Makers, bring your project in its current state, and no worries if it is not totally complete. Get feedback from mentors, fellow Young Makers, and others in the community!
Come make, share, troubleshoot, and have fun with others. Tentative schedule below:
1-3pm Tinkering Workshop: come make something fun like art bots and cardboard chairs. Mingle with current and future Young Makers. Open to all!
3-4pm Mini-Presentation: Young Makers share projects and talk about their Maker Faire plans
Be ready to present at 3 pm! Set up for all clubs will be between 1 – 3 pm. Please register before April 22nd.
Email Jennifer Diaz at jdiaz@girlscoutsnorcal.org with any questions.
Sunday, April 26, 2015: South Bay regional gathering at the YWCA Silicon Valley in San Jose.
Mini Maker Faire at the YWCA Silicon Valley from 1pm to 4pm, located at 375 S. 3rd St, San Jose, 95112 with free parking in the adjacent lot.
1-1:30: Introduction, Ice Breakers
1:30-3:00: Sharing session, where all Young Makers are invited to bring their projects (totally okay if they’re still in progress, even in the prototype or sketch/idea stage) and share their work so far. This is a great chance to work on your project, even! Talk to others, hear their feedback and questions, and troubleshoot together.
3:00-4:00: Maker Build! We’ll have lots of great materials and tools available for you to learn new skills or refine old ones, collaborate together, and make something fun! Meet the Maker time as well!
Sign up here for the event, and please sign up both kids and mentors
Saturday, April 25, 2015: San Francisco/North Bay regional gathering at the San Francisco Public Library.
Mini-Make at the San Francisco Public Library from 2:30pm to 5pm.
Join us to kick-off and warm up SFPL’s new makerspace, “The Mix”, with your Young Makers projects (no matter what state they’re in), talents, and ideas. Meet other makers, hear from a Googler roboticist, and share your awesome work!
The opportunity consists of a tour of the Google campus, plus time for Q&A. Sign up your Young Makers and mentors today! This tour is available on a first-come, first-serve basis only. To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/young-makers-2015-tour-of-google-april-15-2015-tickets-16323974447
Wednesday, April 10, 2015 at 3pm: Google tour!
The opportunity consists of a tour of the Google campus, plus time for Q&A. Sign up your Young Makers and mentors today! This tour is available on a first-come, first-serve basis only. To register, visit http://www.eventbrite.com/e/young-makers-2015-tour-of-google-april-10-2015-tickets-16309578388
Friday, March 15, 2015: Deadline for youth opportunity!
Emerging Media Makers through TechSF & BAVC
Do you know a young maker between the ages of 17-21? The Bay Area Video Coalition and TechSF are offering a new program called Emerging Media Makers. The program is free for qualifying youth and gives them the chance to get certified in an area of media production- Coding For Non-Coders, Web Design, Motion Graphic Design/ Advanced Motion Graphics, or Experiential Design, as well as a paid $1800 internship, professional portfolio development, job coaching and more. It’s super flexible and can be designed around student schedules and completed in as little as two months. Sound too good to be true? Well, there a limited number of spots, but it is REAL! Want more? Youth receive a $200 Amazon gift card just for applying! Follow the link to learn more.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Physical Computing: Tinkering with Light, Sound, and Motion (9am to 2:30pm, Oakland, CA)
Physical Computing is an exciting and interactive connection between physical and digital worlds. In this workshop, you will gain comfort and experience with physical computing through the use of Trinkets, small and economical Arduino variants, and electronic prototyping. Join us, and tinker with basic electronic components. Peek inside and learn from simple projects and programming code examples, and tweak them to make your own. Practice soldering to create strong electrical connections. Collaborate to prototype and create original projects that dazzle (or frazzle) the senses and respond to the “real world” via light, sound and/or motion.
In conjunction with Lighthouse Community Charter School, Maker Ed will host this awesome opportunity and participants may opt to receive 10 sets of materials to help support young makers in similar explorations and tinkering! Supplies and lunch will be provided, though we request that participants bring their own laptop.
Missed our Professional Development workshop for mentors? It’s okay! Check out the following opportunities for other training, read up on our blog post of the event, and/or use our workshop guide for learning and facilitating your own.
RELATED OPPORTUNITIES in the Bay Area
March is Teen Maker Month at Oakland Public Libraries!
For more information on opportunities throughout the month of March, check out http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/teens/events-programs/teen-maker-month
Techtorials at the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley, CA: Learn more and sign up.
Sunday, April 12 | Papercrafts, 3D Printing, and Code Play
Crazy about crafting and technology? Come sample digital “making” activities by creating a dancing flower, a robotic bug, a light-up letter, or a 3D printed bunny.
Sunday, May 3 | Electronic Arts
Learn about simple circuits, then let your imagination soar as you explore and express your creative side!
Saturday, April 25, 2015:
LISTAS Conference (8am to 3pm, Redwood City, CA)
Cañada College in Redwood City will host the 2nd LISTAS Conference to encourage and motivate young Latinas in the fields of science, technology, engineering, math and management! Come listen to Latina professionals from the Bay Area share their stories, professional careers, and tips on growing the next generation of successful Latinas. There will be workshops for middle/high school students and their families/mentors.