Organizational Structure

• The main group is called a Guild
• The subgroups are called crews
  • Each crew can contain between 5 and 10 young hackers
  • each crew should be working toward a similar project
  • Children can switch between crews, but switching often is not recommended, as it can be disruptive for the learning process.

Meetings

Every Guild begins with the Hackerling Circuit project, which is an Arduino Shield (circuit board) that gives all of our young hackers a well rounded education in STEAM concepts and exposing them to the fundamentals of skills, resources, and ideas. Not only does this project give our kids a strong foundation to work from, but it also allows them the the opportunity to make autonomous decisions around their own interests and what badges they may want to pursue later on.  Every meeting also includes a short activity that provokes thought and discussion on one of our core values.

Hackerling Circuit

When young hackers start on their journey, it is important to learn the basics of what it means to be a hacker, and how to handle the basic tools of the trade. Young hackers enter at the “hackerling” stage and they must master a few basic skills to become full hackers. These skills include:

• Soldering
• Electrical component identification
• Basic sewing
• Basic woodworking
• Simple Linux use
• Achieving their first badge

By mastering all these areas, hackerlings will have the foundation necessary to work in a hacker crew, on exciting projects! Once the group has successfully completed their Hackerling Circuit, they move into smaller groups of Crews to work on badge projects. The group as a whole, also has the opportunity to work on larger projects and attend field trips together. Crew projects: To begin, we will pick 3 projects with different difficulties and skill sets and divide into crews based on who wants to do what project. Each meeting will have lessons about the underlying science behind the projects. Crews will find additional resources to further the Guild's knowledge.

Documentation

• An important part of any maker's journey is documentation.
• A wiki/other journaling site will be available for documenting each child's project, including:
• detailing how it works,
• linking to useful resources.
• Each crew will create a page detailing their project, so others can do the same.

Teens

The Guild program is primarily designed for kids ages 8-15, but every Guild has the option of including a Teen program. Our teens are usually skilled and motivated, needing a balance of autonomy and guidance. In the Guild, teens are required to do the following:

• Design and work on their own projects. The length and scope will be their choice, and the mentors will be available to help guide them through their process. Leaders will also facilitate mentorships for teens outside of Guild volunteers with skilled experts in the community for specialized learning.
• Teens must test for badges at the adult level.
• Teens should document their work.
• Teens will be regularly asked to help mentor the younger kids in Guild. They will also have the opportunity to design and teach activities at Open Lab (if applicable).

Teens make a wonderful and dynamic addition to the Guild. The younger kids see them as role models, and the teens benefit from a reinforcement of their knowledge with an opportunity to learn new skills and attempt projects that will stretch their abilities.

We are also actively working on a way for all teens to have  certification along with any badges they are awarded that they could use on resumes and college applications. We believe that the skills and knowledge they gain have a direct impact on their abilities as students, interns, and employees. More details coming soon!