Summer 2016 Themed Co-Working Sessions

Join the HackNCrafters in late June and July for a series of themed Co-Working sessions at our lab in Montclair. For each of three weeks we will open the lab in the mornings for project based learning and information sharing.

What it is -

• Weekly themed Co-working sessions 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Daily lesson around that theme
• A single project will be completed by the instructor, but participants are not restricted to it. Participants are encouraged to bring their own projects related to the theme.
• Co-working and skill sharing is encouraged. Think of this as an “incubator” for projects
• Access to lab equipment will be provided, and recommendations for project kits will be provided.
• Reservations for sessions are managed on meetup.com on a daily basis. You must register per day you plan on attending.
• Sessions are $20 per day.
• These sessions are open for young adults and the young at heart. We ask that parents exercise appropriate wisdom on the subject matter and their son or daughter’s ability to engage on the topic.

What it is NOT -

• This is not a “camp” where parents may drop off their kids.
• Other than a daily lesson around the theme, this is not a class. There should not be an expectation of instruction beyond the described lesson and friendly co-working.
• Parents are encouraged to utilize the work space/room next to the HackNCraft lab to work or socialize, and they may not leave other than perhaps for a pop in to the library (next door) for a snack or coffee. The work space is a clean and open work plan space  with access to free WiFi, desks, and rest rooms.
• This is not a beginners course for students that have no knowledge of the topic.

*** Important ***

​Participants should identify their own suitable project(s) prior to the week they attend. HackNCraftNJ staff are happy to advise on this topic, but the responsibility for this step is that of the student. If at all possible, also obtain the necessary parts prior to the first session. These co-working sessions require a high level of personal commitment to the project chosen. HackNCraftNJ will help as much as possible and engage the students on issues as appropriate, but we are not responsible for student projects.

A word about materials and electronics kits - both RaspberryPi and Arduino starter kits are readily available online or locally at Microcenter in Paterson. We are happy to advise you on what makes sense for you depending on your goals for the class. Just let us know.

*** Co-Working Session Schedule ***

​Week 1 - Raspberry Pi (June 27-June 30)

• Instructor project will be a Raspberry Pi based mobile robot
• Student project ideas: https://learn.adafruit.com/category/raspberry-pi or http://makezine.com/category/technology/raspberry-pi/
• Day 1 lesson: Up and running (configure an OS)
• Day 2 lesson: User interface, basic Unix commands and system config
• Day 3 lesson: Programming options, Scratch, Python
• Day 4 lesson: Installing packages, multimedia, gaming

Week 2 - Arduino (July 11- July 15)

• Instructor project will be a wearable Arduino (Flora) project
• Student project ideas: http://makezine.com/category/technology/arduino/ or https://learn.adafruit.com/category/learn-arduino
• Day 1 lesson: Up and running (download IDE and configure)
• Day 2 lesson: About circuits
• Day 3 lesson: Libraries and the serial interface
• Day 4 lesson: Programming electronics overview

Week 3 - 3D Printing and Fabrication  (July 18- July 21)

• Instructor project is TBD
• Day 1 lesson: Basic fabrication ideas and PVC
• Day 2 lesson: 3D printing overview
• Day 3 lesson: design options and primer TinkerCAD
• Day 4 lesson: Silhouette Cameo introduction

Formal sign up for the Summer Themed Co-working Sessions will open up on June 15, 2016. If you have questions about the sessions, please contact us at makers@hackncraftnj.org.