Makerspaces in digital youth work

Makerspaces in digital youth work

A hands-on training course for youth workers, who want to work with youngsters in makerspaces and create a network in the field of digital youth work and creative e-skills.

Hackerspaces, Fab Labs, Makerspaces – these are the places where ideas become projects and where information technologies are just a tool to achieve something bigger. What that might be is completely up to you. And to the youngsters you’re working with, of course!

With new technologies becoming more and more important in our everyday lives, as well as in our professional careers, it is crucial to include them in youth work activities and make sure that the next generation lives up to be competent and enthusiastic ICT creators instead of mere users.

This training course will be focused on an active exchange between makers to discover how to prepare young people to the challenges of a digital world by tackling their curiosity and creativity in the context of ICT. Makerspaces offer a non-formal learning experience in fields such as robotics, 3D printing, programming, reverse engineering, design, electronics and many more. They encourage youngsters to overcome their fear of contact, discover the endless possibilities of tinkering, try out new things, make mistakes, learn from them and become confident creators themselves. At the same time, makerspaces become social hubs for interaction and personal development – a place where youth work can happen in the most creative way!

This training is for you if you are:

Working with young people in a non-formal environment

Enthusiastic about the possibilities of new technologies and digital tinkering

Working with youngsters in a makerspace or similar institution or planning to set up one

Willing to share your knowledge and exchange best practices

Supported by your organization to become part of an international network of “maker-enthusiastic” youth workers

The central hub of this training will be “Base1” – the Makerspace run by the National Youth Service in Luxembourg. During 4 full days of training, we will also take you to some other creative spots in Luxembourg, to make sure your brain gets enough food for thought and inspiration, so that, at the end of this course, we will be able to lay the foundation of a network of creative digital youth work.