Smart Chicago Collaborative-Youth Led Tech

[mozfest-bot]

[ ID ] bb223e6b-4ecf-4de4-ab87-9927dad68bc3

[ Submitter's Name ] Kyla Williams [ Submitter's Affiliated Organisation ] Smart Chicago Collaborative [ Submitter's Twitter ] @smartchgokyla

[ Space ] digital [ Secondary Space ] youth

[ Format ] learning-lab, fireside

Description

Youth Led Tech is an intensive co-created digital learning model that teaches youth and adults how to better navigate the internet including building websites. Smart Chicago initiates this innovative program model from choosing the staff (both technical and non-technical) and recruiting acutely at-risk youth who both increase digital aptitude in 6 weeks. Participants will be introduced to our philosophy of practice and outcomes, brief review of the online curriculum, including a mini lesson, video presentation of websites and other assets created, and opportunities for questions. Our goal is to provide opportunities for participants to think outside of the standard instructional model for teaching youth tech skills to be inclusive of the instructors who also learn or refine digital skills. One additional interesting learning opportunity is that we offered this program to detained youth without having access to the internet due to security policy, and the model still worked.

Agenda

There will be four speakers for the presentation (5-7 minutes each), all of which manage specific and critical parts of the program: Program Administration, Logistics, Instructional Tasks, and Curriculum Design. The presentation design will flow like a storytelling event with each speaker detailing their roles using only items on the internet as resource and reference material. Again, a google doc link will be created prior to the presentation for participants to jointly enter notes and questions. Our hope is that participants would see merit in our model and would want to replicate it in their respective geographies. Smart Chicago highly supports open everything (process, source code, successes, challenges, etc.) and wants to be helpful in this educational space.

Participants

This session will be fully interactive regardless of the number of participants. All materials presented are internet-based including interactive note taking via a google docs for shared learning. Our curriculum is built in thirds; one-third interpersonal skills, one-third workforce development, and one-third web-based technology so we will choose a lesson that can be completed in 10 minutes to maximize our presentation time. Lastly, this is a conversational presentation and will encourage participants to ask questions and make suggestions for improvement.

Outcome

Because of the security guidelines of detained youth and their limited, if not totally restricted access to the internet,

[KylaWilliams]

The outcomes didn't quite comport appropriately, but the major outcome is to introduce a easily replicable innovative tech program that benefits both youth and adults while providing employment opportunities inside and outside of the program model. The secondary outcome is because of the security guidelines of detained youth and their limited, if not totally restricted access to the internet, Youth Led Tech teaches these youth how to navigate the internet successfully inclusive building a website.

[ArtsAward]

@EPIKhub this session has a stronger youth focus than arts and culture focus I feel. Removing the @ArtsAward tag and leaving to youth for now.

[EPIKhub]

I think its more geared at the adults helping and guiding our young people, so for "Educators" giving them a framework to then support young people taking part, rather than led by youths, Ill suggest Open Badges as maybe an alternative and a good opportunity to create badges for their program maybe.

[SuAdams]

This could be a good fit for a Demystify session as another alternative I'll tag it

[EPIKhub]

@SuAdams +1

[KylaWilliams]

With character limits, it's always hard to tell the most robust story @EPIKhub. This program is co-created by Adults and Youth. Yes, we do work off of a curriculum to ensure certain educational milestones are met, but how that is delivered is highly youth inspired and led. For example, we don't have a curriculum item for beta testing gaming apps, but the youth at one of our sites had an interest in that function. As a result, a rapid fire curriculum item was co-created and shared with the entire network as an opportunity for further engagement. To your point, I am certainly interested in not only badging this program for youth, but also for adults because this is a holistic learning experience for all involved.

[EPIKhub]

Thanks for the clarification. Id certainly love to hear more from your youth, do encourage them to submit sessions next year, their story will inspire us all :)

[KylaWilliams]

@EPIKhub certainly. If chosen, our presentation will be inclusive of visuals of our youth at work, both learning and instructing.

[mattdigitalme]

@KylaWilliams Sounds interesting, would be up for seeing how we can bring badges into this - for MozFest or Post Mozfest?

[KylaWilliams]

@mattdigitalme Agreed and Indeed.

[omnignorant]

@EPIKhub @KylaWilliams @SuAdams this didn't make it through our review because it wasn't submitted to DeMystify primarily and we were over capacity with the incredible proposals we received. This is really excellent work happening in Chicago and something that must find it's way to MozFest, if not this year, then next. Sadly removing our space label.

[KylaWilliams]

Thanks @omnignorant! I hope all is well with you.

[marcwalsh-zz]

Thanks for the submission! Unfortunately this session has not been selected as part of the program for 2016. Please expect an email from us with further information very soon.