Computer Clubhouse of Tacoma Wish List

The Computer Clubhouse of Tacoma has gone through a tremendous amount of changes since the passing of Dr. Luversa Sullivan in June of 2011. This week, and for the weeks to come, the Clubhouse will go through more changes, as I transition into the Coordinator role. A lot of technology has gone missing in the past 2 years, so students haven't been able to create as freely as they should. One of the changes being made is the new Make It! Lab, where students will be able to work on projects using anything available to them. Below is our wish list  I will update the list as more things come up, or someone makes a donation.

If you would like to make a donation you can send it to
1321 Martin Luther King Jr. Way Tacoma, WA 98405 or email me directly jaleesatrapp@gmail.com

General Clubhouse Wish List:

• MENTORS!!! Come help youth realize their potential and learn new skills in the process.
• Headphones (This is a high priority, the students LOVE music, but it gives me a headache hearing 5 songs playing at once).
• Laptops
• 2 Desktop computers (2 have been stolen in the past 2 years)
• Video Camera
• Digital Camera
• Motion Sensor for Wii
• Xbox
• Music Studio equipment and software
• Final Cut Pro

Make It! Lab Wish List:

• Copper tape (high priority, we want to start making soft circuits)
• LED lights
• Pipe cleaners
• Batteries (all types, including watch batteries)
• Power cords
• Conductive thread
• Conductive paint
• Light bulbs
• Red Blinky POV
• Littlebits Starter Kit
• ANY Audrino or Mircrocontroller
• Glue gun
• Felt fabric
• Old t-shirts/hoodies 
• Any old electronics you want to get rid of (cell phones, computers, etc.)

Thanks in advance!

The Calm Before the Storm

I closed the Clubhouse from Monday May 6th to Friday, May 10th. 

I needed to close for two reasons; 

1. The Clubhouse needed a deep cleaning. The chairs were filthy, carpet, bathroom, dust EVERYWHERE. That's something that needed to be done. 

2. I want the students to FEEL and SEE a difference in the atmosphere. The students that weren't at the Clubhouse when Ms. Luversa was sill there aren't used to being held to certain standards. I want them to know that they can still have fun, but it's time to get to work. 

I threw away a lot of things, and I found a lot of old projects. It was amazing to see how talented a lot of us were at a young age. Looking through old projects definitely inspired me. I even found projects I completely forgot about . In one video I was demonstrating a game I created in Scratch with middle school students, where the object was to drive an ambulance to save lives. Our intern who was helping me clean was also impressed. She was excited to see all of the things that are possible at the Clubhouse. 

Today the Clubhouse will re-open. A lot of the rules have changed, for what I think is the better, and I know that some students may have a hard time adapting. Visually, the Clubhouse has changed. That may be hard for students to adapt to as well, but I'm confident they'll get accustomed to it. I will also be giving out a survey to students to see what they're interested in, so that I can make sure the program is student-centered. I'm excited to see how things go today, and the rest of the week. 

Staying True to My Passion: Part 2

In January I wrote about Staying True to My Passion.
In March I quit my job to volunteer at the Computer Clubhouse of Tacoma.
Today, I am the Clubhouse Coordinator at the Computer Clubhouse of Tacoma.

A week ago I went to Boston, MA for the 2013 Intel Computer Clubhouse Network Annual Conference, and 20th year celebration. This was surreal. The last time I went to Boston I was 16, and attending the Intel Computer Clubhouse Teen Summit. I wasn't sure what to expect going back as a coordinator  and not as a youth in the program. It was amazing. I met so many wonderful, supportive, and loving people from around the world. They provided me with so much advice and encouragement it was almost overwhelming.  I was able to share my story as an alumni-turned-coordinator, and the meaningful mentor relationship I had with the late Ms. Luversa. I'm still in awe of this experience, and I really don't think words can describe it. The Tacoma Clubhouse has been through extremely rough times since Ms. Luversa's untimely passing, and I am dedicated to getting it back to what has the potential to be.

Progress on my 2013 goals:

"1. STEM.Working with youth in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields in an effort to close the Achievement Gap, and bridge the Digital Divide. My goal for this year is to find/create an opportunity (paid or unpaid) that will allow me to do just that." CHECK! I am now the coordinator at the Clubhouse, and I plan on moving forward at full speed with this position.  
"2. Human Centered Design. My goal for this year is to continue to use my HCDE knowledge to provide solutions to real world issues."
I'm in the process of putting together a youth survey for the members at my Clubhouse to see how I can better serve them. I want them to be successful in every endeavor, and I won't know how I can help them until I find out their needs and wants. Updates to come.
 "3. Mentoring.  My goal is to grow as a mentor, especially for young women of color.  " I am still a Hometown Mentor for a student at Wilson High School, and I signed up to mentor again next year. I am also working on mentoring the girls at the Clubhouse. This is a work in progress. 

4. Community Involvement. My goal for this year is to continue seeking opportunities that will enable me to volunteer/work in the community. This will be a great chance for me to find my way around United Way of Pierce County. My position with the Clubhouse is allowing me to get more involved with MY community. I am currently working on several different projects that will allow me to collaborate with different people and organizations. 

I am so excited for what's to come throughout the rest of this year!

Computer Clubhouse of Tacoma Volunteering: Week 6

I recently quit my job so that I can volunteer at the Computer Clubhouse of Tacoma, an after school program for students ages 10-18 that allows them to work with mentors and empower themselves through the use of technology. I was apart of the program from the 7th grade until I graduated from high school.
If you haven't yet, read about week 1, 2,  3, 4, and 5.
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The only way to describe week 6 is that it was challenging.

Now that the Dr. Luversa Sullivan Legacy Gala is over, it's time to set the tone. This is hard because some of the kids still don't know me very well, and they have gotten accustomed to a Clubhouse that doesn't align with it's mission and vision, to say the least. I don't have much to say about the current situation, only that my plan is to change it. I want the students there to have the same opportunities as I did and BETTER. That is my goal. 

Dr. Luversa Sullivan Legacy Gala 2013

The Dr. Luversa Sullivan Legacy Gala went GREAT! There were a few minor technical difficulties, but that's always expected.

Before the event started I got a text from the person who was suppose to MC saying she couldn't make it. My heart dropped because I knew it could only mean one thing...I had to do it! Luckily for me, growing up Ms. Luversa would put me on the spot in front of crowds often, so I was well prepared. It really wasn't so bad.
To set the tone of the event, and show them the reason we were all there I showed the following video:

Council woman Victoria Woodards read a proclamation from Mayor Strickland, and a representative read proclamations from Senator Murray, and Senator Cantwell. It was amazing to hear them all speak so highly of her.

Ms. Luversa's brother, Bishop Jesse Sullivan, presented one of our students with the first Dr. Luversa Sullivan scholarship. His church in Kansas made a contribution to the scholarship, which was a surprise to the recipient.

The youth showcasing their projects were great! They were all nervous at first, so I took them around and introduced them to a few people, the next thing I knew they were walking around asking people to come look at what they created. It was beautiful.

Now that the Gala is over, it's time for the real work to begin. Rebuilding the Tacoma Clubhouse won't be easy, but I'm determined.

 

Computer Clubhouse of Tacoma Volunteering: Week 5

I recently quit my job so that I can volunteer at the Computer Clubhouse of Tacoma, an after school program for students ages 10-18 that allows them to work with mentors and empower themselves through the use of technology. I was apart of the program from the 7th grade until I graduated from high school.
If you haven't yet, read about week 1, 2,  3, and 4.
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Week 5 was hard.

Monday was my 25th birthday (sounds soooo old!!), so I took Monday and Tuesday off to visit friends in Arizona.
I spent Wednesday going over last minute items, and making sure the program was ready to be printed. I also worked with the girls on their projects, and asked technical questions to make sure they could explain. We also had lumpia and rice at the Clubhouse, that was GREAT. 
Thursday was hard. April 4th was Ms. Luversa's birthday. It was a day of reflection, and a reminder of why I'm working os hard to get the Tacoma Clubhouse back to where it was. The creator of the "Ms. Luversa Sullivan - A Leader. An Inspiration. A Mentor." page on Facebook asked us to share a thought, memory, update or intention. Here's what I wrote:

Siana, Jevetta, and I sat at the green table yesterday and shared all of our funny Clubhouse stories. (We did all this while Siana made lumpia, Ms. Luversa LOVED when she made it). 
A few of the most important things she taught me were respect, integrity, and perseverance. We were never allowed to disrespect her, our peers, or ourselves. We were taught to be honest, no matter the outcome. And giving up was never an option. 
One update/intention is to continue Ms. Luversa's legacy at the Clubhouse. This Saturday we are having the Dr. Luversa Sullivan Legacy Gala, in an effort to honor and continue her legacy. I've been working with some of the youth at the Clubhouse for the past 5 weeks, and I think it's important that they have the same opportunities (and better) that I had as a Tacoma Clubhouse member. Although Ms. Luversa is gone, she left all of her students with more than enough skills (technical and life) to keep the Clubhouse going.

Friday, crunch time. Ms. Luversa's brother came into town, and we showed him the Clubhouse. We also took him to lunch on the waterfront. It was great seeing him under different circumstances, the last time I saw him was for the funeral. He wrote something for us to post in the Clubhouse, in response to Ms. Luversa's "each one, teach one" motto, he also shared his poetry. This was also setup day. I didn't get home until 11:45PM, and I still had to put the finishing touches on a video. That was a huge reminder to not procrastinate! 

Overall, it was a hard week, but it was very productive. 

Computer Clubhouse of Tacoma Volunteering: Week 4

I recently quit my job so that I can volunteer at the Computer Clubhouse of Tacoma, an after school program for students ages 10-18 that allows them to work with mentors and empower themselves through the use of technology. I was apart of the program from the 7th grade until I graduated from high school.
If you haven't yet, read about week 1, 2, and 3.
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One word to sum up week 4: tiresome. 

I spent a lot of week 4 following up with people about the Gala. April 6th is soooo close! I'm starting to get nervous about the event.

I also spent a lot of time working on helping Dymond put her website together to showcase, and Malayah create a racing game using Kodu Game Lab. We're actually hoping to raise enough money at the gala to get an X-box so that we can create games for the x-box. 

I also took time on Saturday to clean the Clubhouse. There was a lot of re-arranging, tossing, and cleaning to do.