{"id":961,"date":"2015-08-11T10:22:52","date_gmt":"2015-08-11T17:22:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/youmedia.org\/?p=961"},"modified":"2016-05-17T11:17:05","modified_gmt":"2016-05-17T18:17:05","slug":"making-the-case-for-a-makeathon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/youmedia.org\/blog\/making-the-case-for-a-makeathon\/","title":{"rendered":"Making the Case for a Makeathon"},"content":{"rendered":"

TechHive<\/a> is the YOUmedia Learning Lab based out of the Lawrence Hall of Science<\/a> in Berkeley, California. During the last weekend in May, TechHive\u2019s staff and teen interns collaborated to plan, develop, raise funds for, and run a Makeathon<\/a>. The idea for this event came from a shared desire to experiment with an alternative to the popular hackathon event. Hackathons have developed a negative reputation for often being male-dominated<\/a> and sexist<\/a> events. Writers and critics have drawn similarities between the lack of diversity in hackathons as a reflection of a larger lack of diversity both in Silicon Valley<\/a> and in the field of technology jobs<\/a>. The teen interns in TechHive had many conversations about this with each other, mentors, and staff at Lawrence Hall, and with the support of the Hall were encouraged to address this issue head-on. They conscientiously planned every aspect of what became TechHive\u2019s Makeathon held at the Children\u2019s Creativity Museum. The Makeathon offered an alternative to the hackathon\u2014created by and with teens\u2014 as an example of what communal, collaborative making and learning could look like.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most negative thing that I feel happens at tech events, specifically at hackathons, is that there is a lot of sexual harassment that goes on… For example, I went to High School Hacks<\/a>, and a lot of guys saw it as their opportunity to try out their pick-up lines\u2026 That is something that I see a lot when I\u2019m doing tech things besides TechHive.\u201d said Ming, one of TechHive\u2019s teen interns during a YOUmedia Learning Labs Network google hangout<\/a> where she was joined by TechHive staff AJ Almaguer and TechHive\u2019s Director, Dr. Sherry Hsi. Other female teen interns who had tried their first technology hackathon shared both positive and negative experiences with Lawrence Hall\u2019s staff. Ming wanted to be able to provide an environment that still had the excitement of competition and immersion in technology, but with more female peers. Another female intern found hackathons favored experts and were unwelcoming to both beginners and young women. Participants with no background in robotics, computing, or building would be placed at an immediate disadvantage. As Dr. Hsi commented, \u201cIt\u2019s hard to measure, but it\u2019s this notion that there\u2019s a chilly climate and an atmosphere that\u2019s a bit hostile towards girls and women\u2026 And there are subtle interactions, and subtle ways of framing activity, ways of organizing groups that would cause girls and women to feel less welcome.\u201d These observations and conversations between teens and staff were instrumental in shaping the Makeathon.<\/p>\n

According to Ming, TechHive\u2019s YOUmedia space has a more diverse representation of women when compared to other teen tech programs she\u2019s experienced in the Bay Area, \u201cThere are a lot of girls in TechHive, which is unusual for a place that has to do with tech, because when you go to things like hackathons you may see one or maybe two other girls.\u201d That stark contrast was one of the things that motivated Ming, along with Ilona, another teen intern, to develop this two-day, ten hour\/day intensive that included technical training, as well as training in crafting, building, and construction. The end goal of the makeathon was to finish with a tangible product. \u201cOur goal wasn\u2019t to build the next future app or startup,\u201d said AJ Almaguer, \u201cit was to make a cute pet that will bring joy to the [young visitors to the Children\u2019s Creativity Museum] and showcase it in a collaborative event.\u201d This \u201cpetting zoo\u201d aspect, paired with the introductory tech and crafting workshops, set the foundation for a communal experience and skillshare rather than competition.<\/p>\n