Making Makerspaces More Welcoming to Girls and People of Color

Description:

As libraries continue to evolve into the "21st century library" model, makerspaces have been popping up in and outside libraries nationwide. While the simple definition of a makerspace is to “provide educational opportunities to the public” the maker movement suffers from the same problem as the private tech industry: a lack of girls and minorities. Fortunately, libraries are strategically placed at the center of their communities to lead a movement to diminish the maker movement’s gender and race gap.

During this program, we will discuss how your library can introduce makerspaces to your community while simultaneously empowering underrepresented populations to participate in this white-and-male-dominated culture. We will share personal observations about working with minorities and technology, examples of successful maker programs and ideas for any library to implement today.

Objectives: after participating in this webinar, you’ll be able to:

• Identify needs and assets of underrepresented populations in your communities
• Implement plans and policies to create a welcoming space for girls and people of color to "make"
• Initiate ongoing reflections and dialogue with staff, community leaders and participants