Out-of-School learning

Computer Clubhouses are located in the heart of underserved communities, and assessable to youth aged 10 years – 18 years of age.

It is common to see Clubhouse youth run from near-by schools to be the first to sign-in and start projects at a Clubhouse work station. The Clubhouse operates as a drop-in centre, members may come as little or as often as they like.

Research undertaken on the impact that the Clubhouse has on young people, reports a high retention of members over an extended period of years. Young people demonstrate high levels of motivation and a commitment to projects that can run for a short time or over a period on months.

The same research also reports that as an extended learning opportunity the Clubhouse is having a direct impact on the young persons commitment to stay at school and their long-term learning and career goals.

For young people growing up in communities where there are challenges of poverty, crime and high-density living conditions, the Clubhouse offers a safe and welcoming environment that truly becomes a place of belonging for young people.

Global Teen Summit

The Teen Summit is a biennial event that includes opportunities for Clubhouse youth from all around the globe to express their ideas with high-end technologies, such as graphic design, video animation, digital art, music, radio and documentary film-making, and 3-D modeling.

Each Teen Summit takes place on a university campus in Boston, Massachusetts, and includes a college and career fair, collaborative activities, and many other opportunities for educational, career and personal growth.

The Computer Clubhouse Network fully sponsors three Clubhouse members from each Clubhouse, along with their Coordinator to attend the Teen Summit.

New Zealand Teen Summit

The first ever New Zealand Teen summit was held on 18^th-22^nd July 2011 at the National Training Centre at Clubhouse 274 in Manukau City.

The Teen Summit was an opportunity to foster and grow the New Zealand learning community and connect Clubhouse Members throughout the country.

Clubhouse to Career, Clubhouse to College (C2C)

C2C was developed to support Computer Clubhouse Members in planning for the future and realising their potential, leveraging the technology skills and experience they get at the Clubhouse. The goal is to provide young people with the skills and knowledge needed to take an active role in ensuring their own success. C2C helps Clubhouse Members explore professional jobs and academic opportunities, and learn from people who have already succeeded in their career endeavors.  Other goals of the program are:

Ensuring Clubhouse youth are comfortable with technology and proficient in expressing themselves through professional software and hardware tools;

Creating positive attitudes toward learning and an increased interest in scholastic activities;

Achieving genuine interest in technology-related careers;

Increasing job readiness among Clubhouse youth, including increased placement in internships and jobs drawing on technology skills;

Supporting college placements, including attendance at colleges Clubhouse members would otherwise be unlikely to attend.
   

Activities in the C2C program vary, based on youth interest and resources in the community. Some examples of C2C activities include:

Field trips to local companies and to local colleges and universities

"Job shadows" at companies where youth can shadow an employee throughout the workday

"Visiting technologist" days, in which the Clubhouse hosts visits from professionals who utilize technology in their careers

Professional internship and job opportunities for Clubhouse Members

Workshops in resume-writing, interviewing skills, goal setting, and educational planning

Scholarships

With funding from the Intel Foundation, C2C Scholarships are intended to provide the resources to selected Computer Clubhouse members or alumni to support their transition to post-secondary school education. The Intel Foundation has generously committed USD $600,000 to the C2C Scholarship program over the next 5 years, which is managed by the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network in Boston  to provide greater financial support and expand the number of scholarships to members and alumni who are pursuing secondary education around the world.

Perry Knight Memorial Scholarship Fund 

In September 2010 the Network of Aotearoa Clubhouses will launch a New Zealand-based endowment fund to provide Clubhouse Members with NZ sponsored scholarships to attend a university or tertiary training programme of their choosing.

Perry Knight served on the Board of the Computer Clubhouse Trust here in New Zealand until his tragic death in September 2009.

Perry was a prolific angel investor, entrepreneur and philanthropist. His family agree that he would be excited to know that this rare combination of his attributes lives on in a Fund that is innovative, and helping to grow the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs in New Zealand.

Perry had a passion for working in underserved communities. He recognised that, although poverty is a large mountain to climb over, this was not an excuse for any of us to sit back, and do nothing. Perry saw the enthusiasm and high work ethic that Clubhouse Members exhibited each day when attending a Computer Clubhouse, and this resonated with his vision of hard-work and high ambition.

Adobe Youth Voices (AYV) enables young people to use cutting-edge multimedia and digital tools to communicate and share their ideas. In the beginning of 2008, Adobe and the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network established a partnership to implement the AYV program in a select number of Clubhouses

AYV Clubhouses receive training, software and funds to create multimedia projects that give young people a way to speak about issues in their community.  The support the Clubhouses receive for the AYV program allows Clubhouse Members to apply their technical skills and interests to the world around them

Currently Clubhouse 274 is the only site in New Zealand that has been selected as an AYV site. In August 2009 two Clubhouse 274 members travelled to Stanford University to attend the AYV Youth Summit 

Clubhouse 274 AVY media can be viewed at Clubhouse TV