Collaborate or Die: STEAMy Programming for Teens Marcus Lowry and Amy Boese Ramsey County Library

Libraries are Makerspaces Making means learning through trial and error, through practical application, and through hands-on experience. Making means giving access to communities to grow and create something better. “Provide free access for all to the knowledge and ideas that transform lives.” Ramsey County Library mission statement

Libraries teach STEAM SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING ART AND MATH Every hour we are open we are teaching technology.

3D Printing

Makerspace Teen Tech Lab – all our free programs loaded on the laptops plus scanner, cameras, digital voice recorder. Twice a week afterschool drop in Making – all the above plus the 3D printer It became all 3D all the time– we were forced to start thinking about tactile learning and why our teens responded to it so positively.

Frankenstein Flip

Popsicle Stick Catapults

Marshmallow Spaghetti Structures tti_challenge.aspx

Duct Tape!

Star Wars Snowflakes paper-snowflakes/

LED Throwies LED Throwies (You all know how to do this now.) but this is all well and good, what’s next?

Expert #1: Ken the 3M Laser Engineer Lemon Batteries

Bristlebots

Liquid Nitrogen

EGGBOT

Makey Makey and Squishy Circuits

MiniPOV2

Expert #2: Working Artists Mosaics Batik Bronze Jewelry Mural projects Photography Printmaking Book Art

Experts #3: CTV and SCC, Local Cable Video Boot Camp Young Lenses: Girl’s Eye View Girl’s Speak: Voices through a Lens Our teens taping our simulcasts

School Collaborations Past relationships are built up by new ideas from our education with experts. North St. Paul Work-based Learning weekly Makerspace/Tech classes Phoenix Recovery High School Tech classes Teen Tech Camp expansion (3 times per year) 21 st Century Grant Partner with Roseville Schools

Why Outreach? We love guaranteed audiences. Going to youth serving organizations is awesome. Bringing them back to the library is GREAT. We reach the teens who wouldn’t necessarily have these opportunities otherwise.

Experts encourage change. Teens are an age group – every year is different, and reevaluation is key. Experts expand our knowledge, Expand our ability to teach STEAM concepts, and Enable the library to be flexible with our programming.

Evaluate Your Awesome Collaboration: TAYAPYYPYTT  Teens want to come back.  Adults/Kids want to do your programs.  You are reaching teens you didn’t reach before.  Administration can promote your collaboration as an extension of mission and vision.  Programming flexes and changes as your Teens’ needs change.  You are within your budget.  You are expanding your library’s skill set.  Partners wish to work with you again.  You want to work with your partners again.  TEENS want to work with your partners.

QUESTIONS? Walrus or Sea Lion? Tapioca Pearls or Jellies? Apple or Android? Marvel or DC? THANKS!