How to run workshops?

General lounge
1

Hi

Your website mentions that key holding members can also run workshops.
Could you please elaborate on that?

I’m working on an education startup called Warmer Sun and I’m looking for space for workshops.

Thanks a lot

Tamas Simon

2

Hi Tamas,

Check out here:

http://vanhack.ca/doku.php?id=tutorials:mailinglistworkshopadvice

The only requirements really are that you do an interest check, find a keyholder willing to bottom-line, and make sure there are no conflicts.

3

Thanks Jarrett.
In my case the workshop would be primarily targeted at a non-member audience, namely a small group of kids.
How would that change things?

4

I’m not sure.

It would generally up to the bottomliner, but VHS isn’t really a fantastic place for large groups of small kids.

There are a lot of tools that are dangerous without proper parental supervision.

Come down to the space sometime on an open-house and check it out, talk it over with people in person.

5

The VHS definition of workshop is more “workshops targeted towards or membership and/or the general public”. Using it as a private event space wasn’t really what was intended.

6

Agreed

7

Some of us members have kids, and are sentimentally attached to the idea of educating them. Can you give an idea of age range, group size, types of activities, things like that?

As Jarrett said, you should visit the space on one of our Tuesday open nights, or this Saturday for SHHH. A visit is worth a thousand comments.

3 Likes
8

LOL, well put indeed.

9

I have a good friend who is likely coming down for SHHH who is involved in the local homeschooling community who would possibly be interested in a children’s techy meetup, depending on age, subject and availability. I think he point that @davidcarne was making is that he didn’t feel it appropriate for an outside group to use VHS as a classroom in a closed-to-VHS-members class, which I can understand, but if it is open to VHS participation I can see that working given the right situation.

10

Sure.

The age range is elementary school, from 8 and up. Ideally kids should be able to read so they can do their own research online. With that said… it’s flexible; I had my daughters attend and the younger one is six and that worked out well.
(Which implies I have kids too and am trying to educate them just like you guys :wink: )

The topic of interest is 3D printing and using it for “inventing” aka going through a design thinking process.
On the longer term horizon I’d like topics to cover different emerging technologies e.g robotics, drones, DIYbio

I put a lot of material online about my thinking behind it… You’re more then welcome to check it out:

2 Likes
11

p.s.

Bruce

I like that robot in your profile picture.
Have you got one? How is it?
Thinking about getting one myself.

12

Exactly! Workshops for kids that match the inclusive model of VHS workshops sound like a great idea! (well, assuming we figure out the whole safety/liability/dangerous-pokey-things-around-the-space bit).

1 Like
13

I’ve run a few inclusive model type VHS workshops like this in the past and they’ve worked well I think. I’ve usually made it a requirement that each kid under age 16 is accompanied by an adult/guardian.