Meet Brickface: Passport to Makersville

Makersville is doing lots to support youth and creatives.

We've built a program with a Maker-oriented, play based/social entrepreneurship philosophy at the Long Beach Sea Base. You can find us there on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

What does it all mean? I wouldn't call this a mantra of any sort. I'm blogging, so I'm telling you my thoughts. Thoughts, like anything evolve.

• We believe in hands on doing as the best way to learn. (Maker philosophy)
• We believe that making one thing can lead to making another better or different thing. (sort of Maker philosophy)
• We believe in the power of following your interest and path. (Maker philosophy)
• We believe in the power of play to provide an interest and path. (Play based learning)
• We leverage the interest created in play tools like Minecraft, LEGO(r) bricks, Arduino, toys (ozobot) blogging and YouTube to create learning opportunities for youth. (Play based learning)
• We believe that mistakes provide the learning opportunities necessary for success.
• We believe that our flaws show our humanity. Pobody's nerfect.
• We appreciate the look, the feel of grassroots, community run and inclusive efforts. We're playing a community building game.
• We believe in helping others. Everything we do is aimed at helping others in an entrepreneurial, hopefully ultimately sustainable format. It is through this that we have established the following goals. They evolve continuously as we find more people to help. (Social Entrepreneurship)
  • Support Title 1 schools in Long Beach through a program offered by the ScoutReach staff that adds on a hands-on making component after the scout meetings. We're starting with one school, and the cub scouts and after school program youth will be invited. Girl Scouts, we'd love to have you join the fun!
  • Purchase an easy to use, good quality laser cutter. We've decided that you're either making the 3d printer or using the 3d printer. Those who deliver wide reaching programs can't be the ones making the 3d printer. So we bought a 3d printer. Similarly, if our youth are to get access to a laser cutter, we need a good, easy to use, reliable cutter. We've got a hobby laser, but it's never going to be one that the youth can use.
  • Establish regular hours, however few, at the Sea Base, so that youth can come and make things. We're starting with Friday Funday, 4-6 pm.
  • Help make jobs for youth. We've actually succeeded in getting just a few high school students and recent graduates paid work. It's not easy stuff, but it's work where there was none before.
  • We're going to be working with the ScoutReach program to figure out how we can help homeless families.

So we are planning an IndieGoGo campaign, and holding a Barnes and Noble fundraiser to support.

On November 5th and 6th, visit with Makersville at the Barnes and Noble at the Carson Towne Center and support our group at our B&N Fundraising Bookfair.

And you can meet BrickFace and revel in all its flaws.

Your shopping helps us! Stop by our table and get a sticker so that your purchase benefits our outreach in Long Beach!