Join expert mentors as they teach a mix of coding, design and electronics to ages 8+, using awesome emerging technology like 3D printers and laser cutters.

This is way more than just a coding club.

At MakerClub, children build products from scratch, learning real manufacturing techniques to better understand the world around them.

Find out more information on joining by clicking here OR if you’d like to come down and see the club in action, feel free to pop in at any of our drop-in sessions.

MakerClub has opened in 5 UK cities and continues to grow, with a further 30 planned for the next 18 months. The company was named as one of the UK’s most creative of 2016 by the awarding body, Creative England.

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Go beyond coding, as they learn to use emerging technologies like 3D printing, the Internet of Things and laser cutters, to build robots, design videogames and create their own products from scratch.

Fresh from being named as one of the most creative companies in the UK by Creative England, MakerClub has been featured in The Times, Telegraph, Wired, BBC and TechCrunch – it’s simply the best regular technology clubs for under 16’s in the country.

Makerclub runs after-school clubs in Brighton (our hometown!), Birmingham, Bournemouth, Cambridge and now London.

The weekly sessions run from 5.30pm to 7pm at Makerversity, London’s most prestigious space for young makers and designers from Nov 2nd and every Wednesday after.

With amazing equipment on hand, expert tutors and all materials included, membership costs £69 for a month (one session a week), which includes their own laser cut membership card.

To celebrate, we’re offering 5 memberships at a 50% discount for the first month! With only 10 places available, you better be quick!

You can cancel your membership at any time and if you’d like to know anything else, check the website, or email mia AT makerclub.org.

Use the code robotdiscount when subscribing.

Click here for more details

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You can make your own using:

1 cup water

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup salt

2 Tbsp. cream of tartar

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Food coloring

Mix water, 1 cup of flour, salt, cream of tartar, vegetable oil and food colouring together. Cook over a medium heat and stir until the mixture forms into a ball.

Place the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead in the rest of the flour.

Now try to light up some LEDs using your dough and a battery pack!

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Following the decline of Design and Technology in schools, we have seen a rapid rise in ed-tech start ups with a common mission to improve technology education for young people. Now, referred to as the Maker Movement, workshops and hack-spaces are popping up all over the country giving children greater access to the latest technology, making designing and inventing easier than ever. Our CEO, Simon, spoke to The Times about the importance of initiatives like these in teaching children key, problem solving skills.

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If you would like your child to build or design something similar, why not get one of our MakerClub kits, or check if you have a MakerClub workshop session happening near you

The post Kids Wonderful Inventions: No.1 appeared first on MakerClub.

He’s designed a set to rival the biggest blockbuster movie, and programmed his Robotic Arm to deliver an Oscar-worthy performance, because today, he’ll be battling Darth Vader (and his mum is watching).

The world needs more engineers.

It’s a fact. In the UK alone there’ll be 2.5 million new jobs in engineering companies by 2022, and we’ll need 2.5 million new engineers to fill them.

These new engineers could come from anywhere, but the statistics say that they’re unlikely to come from Peter’s class. In an industry where education is so dependent on technology and cross-subject knowledge, it’s inevitable that the barriers to entry will be particularly high for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, for a number of reasons;

The pace of change in technology and the lack of those qualified and confident to teach it, makes reliance on the state school system problematic.

Schools find it difficult to achieve the cross-curricular learning required in siloed subject lessons with cost, knowledge and attitudinal challenges compounding the problem.

Furthermore, many families also feel unable to support their children’s learning, both financially and educationally, which can result in low attainment.

‘It’s very important for Peter to learn about programming for his future.
He has a lot of questions and there’s not enough time at home!’ Lili (Peter’s Mum)

In addition to the economic disadvantages this presents, there’s a clear correlation between digital exclusion and social exclusion – a fact confirmed by the government in its Digital Inclusion Charter.

Less than a great recipe for success for the future.

Enter Darth.

Governments, parents, teachers and businesses are all looking for answers, and Darth Vader is ours.

In a project run with Nominet Trust, Learning and Work Institute and Brighton and Hove Council, we created a six-week, low-cost, project-based course to to teach and demystify technology.

Families worked together to build and program a Robotic Arm from scratch, with absolutely no prior knowledge or experience; impressive by anyone’s standards.

The workshops culminated in a movie shoot, the results of which are available here.  Grab some popcorn and treat yourself; those families achieved something incredible.

(Full video available on our YouTube channel).

‘Star Wars: Attack of the Moulescoombe Droids’ might look like a bit of fun, but a project like this is an amazing vehicle for learning. It’s a way to learn different disciplines in tandem. An opportunity to be creative. An approach that applies skills in an exciting and collaborative context, and that makes learning new things seem less scary, more familiar and fun.

The bottom line?

Project-based learning is amazing.

It really is, and involving family is key. Ask a child to program a motor to move and you might get a motor to move once in that classroom. Ask a family to tell a story using technology, and you’ll get a lasting experience that they can take home and will remember.

“They wanted to get the coding right because they had invested so much in it and had been part of the whole process.” Margaret Allen (Family Learning, Brighton and Hove Council)

In fact, we’re so passionate about the success of this project that we’re launching something very special.

On June 1st, we’re opening the first real-world MakerClub in Brighton, where families can access the resources, equipment, space, time and expertise needed to learn and invent spectacular things with technology.

In weekly after-school sessions, children will be supported through the design and creation of their own projects and work towards awards that will stand them in great stead for the future.

Family members will be encouraged to get involved in their child’s learning and we’ll be actively facilitating this with show-and-tells, family workshops, and group projects.

In fact, don’t take my word for it, why not come along to one of our free launch events and take a look at what we’ve got planned…

All in all, I’d say Darth has redeemed himself.

The post Can Darth Vader really help kids learn how to code? appeared first on MakerClub.

The FIELD project welcomes hand selected innovative start-ups from Brighton and Hove to take residency in their incredible new space.

We just know that MakerClub being part of FIELD makes sense. With their vision to empower entrepreneurial makers, inventors, engineers and product designers with the use of their diverse workspaces.

The plan is to unite like-minded people, organisations and businesses to create a community that thrives on the free exchange of ideas between creative innovators and inventors.

That’s not all, this £150 million GDV scheme is part of a wider regeneration project that is set to radically transform this part of Brighton, and needless to say we are delighted to have been invited to move MakerClub HQ this snazy new space!

Stay tuned for for more updates soon…

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We are giving you the chance to win your very own MakerClub Robotic Arm, that was successfully funded on Kickstarter. Whether you’re a beginner or pro, you’ll find a range whole of features that will blow your mind, and is guaranteed to turn any age into a robot-mad genius.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE AND ENTER

For beginners, every kit comes with over 30 hours of interactive browser-based tutorials. You’ll be guided through basic programming, 3D design and hardware electronics; it’s great for anyone that wants to know more about building their own connected products, especially kids!

For experts, you’ll love the kits beating heart, the Hornet Micro Controller, its plug and play with no soldering, lets you control 18 servos and comes bundled with Bluetooth, so you can connect it to our mobile app for effortless wireless control. With a browser-based coding environment, you’ll be able to use it to work on your projects from anywhere.

Each kit comes with all the 3D design files completely free, so you can manipulate and customise it as much as you like! All the parts our reusable, so once you know the basics, you can start creating RC Cars, Quadcopters, and more!

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