projects
West Ridge Youth Council (Eternal Youth) | 2021-present
Eternal Youth is a coalition of Black, immigrant, and refugee youth in Chicago's West Ridge neighborhood. The council has been holding space to discuss healing from gun violence, support mutual aid efforts in the neighborhood, and engage with refugee neighbors through language tables. Learn more about what we're up to at our website.
tiilt x WRC | 2017-present
This partnership between tiilt lab, World Relief Chicago, and MakerLab supports refugee youth’s summer programs. Since 2017, the team has iterated on designs to support meaningful and culturally relevant making as an entry point to STEAM learning, while moving toward models of co-design. In summer 2022, the first team of youth co-designed "Fun Summer Program" (FSP) 2022 and built on this work in summer 2023.
Making a Just Inclusive Community (MAJIC) | 2017-2021
Formerly: IMR (Imagine, Make, Repeat); FamJam!
MAJIC has worked with educators in Evanston and Chicago to design and facilitate hands-on making through maker technologies and projects. To this end, MAJIC offers professional development, workshops, and training in hands-on making for educators, facilitators, and students. MAJIC examines making as an intergenerational practice that spans formal and informal settings.
The team has appeared at STEMFest, YEA! festival, and in collaborations with Chute Middle School, Nichols Middle School, Dawes Elementary, MetaMedia at the Evanston YMCA, and the Evanston Public Library.
Artwork: beck mallwitz