Program Overview

The Computer Clubhouse provides a creative and safe after-school learning environment where young people from under-served communities work with adult mentors to explore their own ideas, develop skills, and build confidence in themselves through the use of technology.

Established in 1993 by The Computer Museum (now part of the Museum of Science, Boston) in collaboration with the MIT Media Laboratory, the Computer Clubhouse helps youth acquire the tools necessary for personal and professional success. Using the "Flagship" Clubhouse at the Boston Museum of Science as a model, the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network supports community-based Clubhouses around the world, providing thousands of youth with access to resources, skills, and experiences to help them succeed in their careers, contribute to their communities, and lead outstanding lives.

In just a few years, the Clubhouse Network has grown by more than 85 Clubhouses worldwide. This rapid expansion comes with the challenge to maintain a sense of community, as well as to develop awareness among Clubhouse Members of the greater Network. Along with the challenges comes an increase in possibilities. Clubhouse members can collaborate with others on the other side of the world. There are opportunities for cultural exchange, a growing connection to career and college resources, and the chance to find a new, yet familiar, Clubhouse in a completely different community.

With these challenges and possibilities in mind, the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network is hosting a Teen Summit at the Museum of Science July 13-18, 2004. Representatives from Clubhouses around the world (approximately 200 teens and 80 chaperones) will travel to Boston, MA, to meet in person, share ideas, and begin cross-Clubhouse collaboration. The Summit is also designed to encourage members to see their place in the greater Network, and society at large, and to begin to establish and work towards career and educational goals.

Objectives:

• Inspire and excite Clubhouse youth from underserved communities to develop fluency in technology and become self-motivated and confident learners through hands-on, participatory experiences that make learning fun.
• Enable Clubhouse youth to share experiences, knowledge, and resources with other youth from around the world who are part of the same Clubhouse learning environment.
• Expose Clubhouse youth to new ideas and opportunities that they can then share with their friends and peers back home.
• Build leadership skills, communication skills, teamwork, and an appreciation for different cultures among Clubhouse youth from around the world.
• Encourage Clubhouse youth to critically examine the skills they have developed in the Clubhouse, and to consider how to apply those skills to educational/career-related paths.
• Build camaraderie and community among youth from across the global Intel Computer Clubhouse Network.

Program Plan:

• Clubhouse Teen Summit to be held bi-annually
• Clubhouse Teen Summit will be preceded and followed by online collaboration and communication among youth from across the Clubhouse Network, using the Clubhouse "Village" (the Clubhouse Intranet)
• 2-3 youth from each Computer Clubhouse will be selected to represent their peers, based on criteria agreed upon across the Clubhouse community
• The Clubhouse Teen Summit will be a five-day program to enable youth (and one or two staff people) from each Clubhouse to work together on collaborative design activities, and plan future activities for online collaboration.

Representatives to the 2004 Teen Summit will be involved in the following kinds of activities:

• Online discussions, collaboration, and planning prior to and following the Summit, including a "Pen Pal" exchange
• Hands-on exploration of new technologies and discussions with those inventing those new technologies, such as researchers at the MIT Media Lab.
• Presentations and demonstrations by industry professionals to demonstrate the power of technology as a tool for creativity
• Visits to local colleges and businesses to learn more about graphic design, photography, video, etc.
• Exposure to career/college planning activities and resources
• Hands-on time for youth to work together on socially conscious collaborative design projects of their choosing (e.g., comic books, music videos, animation...)
• Exploration with digital cameras and other technology tools to capture images and document the Teen Summit and their experiences in Boston
• Discussions about the future of the Clubhouse Network and how to encourage and support global collaboration and communication
• Free time for socializing and having fun

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