Our ideaLAB makerspaces offer an unstructured open lab model, but, while flexible and open to all, unstructured times can be intimidating to novice makers, particularly tweens and teens. MakerCamp was designed as a semi-structured program aligned with library-wide summer programming to give youth an opportunity to deepen their engagement with making. The camp reinforces library-wide, out-of-school summer learning programs, and helps teens move from sporadic engagement to a sense of ownership of the makerspace.

Denver Public Library has offered a popular week-long summer web development camp for teens for several years. Each day, the camp begins with some formal instruction focusing on a specific maker technique or tool, then participants experiment with open-ended use of tools and materials via a maker challenge addressed as a team. This encourages iteration, creative problem-solving and provides a low-barrier entry point to STEAM learning.

MakerCamp will be offered at four library locations across the city, reaching 80 individual participants. We anticipate that participants will develop relationships with library staff and with each other, as well as a greater comfort level in the makerspace. Participants will return to the library makerspace for individual exploration and have a greater comfort level with STEAM concepts.