Generator was established to enable all members of our community the opportunity to create, collaborate, and make their ideas a reality. Our community is comprised of new and experienced artists, designers, and makers looking to share ideas, spark connections, and learn from each other. Our goals for implementing the Generator Mentor Days pilot program are to create a successful program designed exclusively for mentoring organizations that provides a safe, structured, time and space for mentor pairs to build relationships, collaborate, and explore together and to increase social capital through sharing resources and fostering adult and youth relationships and collaborative problem-solving.
Generator Mentor Days will bring regional mentor programs to Generator’s facility for hands-on maker activities to increase youth access to STEAM education and increase social capital by providing structured time, resources, and space for mentor programs to innovate and learn together. Our program will offer monthly structured sessions for mentor pairs to work with expert instructors, engage in design-thinking, learn new technical skills, and create a product utilizing Generator’s equipment. These two hour sessions will take place during out-of-school time hours and accommodate up to five mentor pairs per session. Sessions will be aligned with the 2022-2023 school year calendar and held at Generator. Generator will hire an expert instructor to facilitate and deliver the programming. Each session will address different skill sets with new learning activities to provide mentor and mentees the option to participate in sessions that spark their shared interests.
Potential session activities may include laser cut phone stands, personalized vinyl cut stickers, hand sewn tote bags, coding micro-controllers, laser-etched water bottles, and wooden ornaments. The curriculum will explore design methodology and fabrication techniques through project-based learning, with a focus on how basic STEAM concepts can be applied in hands-on making. Projects will be collaborative, helping to foster relationship building between mentor pairs.
The Generator Mentor Days pilot program is designed to benefit both middle and high school students, and adults in the region. We see this program as an opportunity to:
- enhance self-esteem and self-confidence;
- spark interests to pursue further exploration in the areas of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math;
- build and increase trusting, reliable relationships within and across mentoring programs; and cultivate civically engaged youth with the desire to become active participants in their community.