The Exploratorium shares job skills of the future with Mission District teenagers in a partnership funded by the National Science Foundation.
Kids from the Boys & Girls Club of America meet the Exploratorium's outdoor team - creators of the museum's wide range of science and art - made to be enjoyed outside.
Now they're helping teenagers dream up their own outside oasis. That's where the Boys & Girls Club of America in San Francisco comes in.
Three teenage club members are the first to step up for this pilot project. They'll spend a little over a year creating a Parklet in their neighborhood. First they learn sketching and 3D computer design, all the while brainstorming ideas. They did not skimp on the details.
The Exploratorium team is helping the teens combine their designs into a small plastic model using a 3D printer. And, the plans keep getting more elaborate.
The next step is to build a full-size plywood prototype of the Parklet right in front of the Boys & Girls Club building. Finally, the community comes in to test out the proto-type Parklet .
The teen designers watch carefully to see how all their ideas work. They'll build a permanent Parklet this summer. The next step is the long term goal of replicating this project in other cities, helping many more young people prepare for the future.
This weekend, ABC7 News anchor Dan Ashley will host a special report called "More to Explore," this Sunday, at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7.
ABC7 News is the Exploratorium's official television partner.
Written and produced by Jennifer Olney.
