“Hack the Hood: Building Character through Building Competency” Learn how Hack the Hood uses project-based learning as a strategy to create new behaviors that transform youth, as well as the perceptions of youth by local neighborhoods. Through a curriculum focused on building youth leadership skills, an entrepreneurial mindset, and cultural competency, youth move from being passive consumers of digital tech to being knowledgeable workers and tech producers as they become valued resources to local small businesses. Come hear about character development and SEL in action from the youth themselves and their adult leaders. Workshop will be led by Jackie Shonerd, Susan Mernit, and Damon Packwood.

1. Hack
the
Hood:
Hack the Hood:
Building Character through Building
Competency
Susan
Mernit,
Damon
Packwood,
Hack
the
Hood
Jackie
Shonerd,
ACOE
December
11,
2014

2. What
is
Hack
the
Hood?
• Non-­‐profit
program
that
addresses
inclusion
and
employment
issues
through
boot
camp
and
weekend
programs
that
teach
tech
skills
to
young
people
of
color
ages
16-­‐21.
• Youth
build
web
sites
for
local
small
businesses,
work
with
tech
mentors,
and
learn
about
tech
careers.
• Started
2012
in
Oakland,
expanding
in
2015.
*

3. Youth
and
mentor,
Summer
2014
*
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.org

4. Hack
the
Hood
Framework
• How does project-based, real-world learning support SEL
and character development to empower young people of
color to be active participants in designing their future?
• How can we include young people of color in a
leadership pipeline that leads to good jobs and careers in
tech?
• What “character traits” and competencies do we hope
for?
• What 40+ years of research on resiliency says (3 key
factors)
• Our job is to create an environment built on these 3
factors
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.org

5. 3
Factors
Foster
Resiliency
and
Character:
• Caring
and
supporVve
relaVonships
• High
/
posiVve
expectaVons
• OpportuniVes
for
meaningful
parVcipaVon

6. Don’t
Forget
the
ABC’s:
MeeVng
Youth’s
Basic
Human
Needs
for…
Autonomy
Belonging
Competence

7. Hack the Hood clicks right into Social & Emotional
Learning (SEL)

8. Character
EducaVon
…includes
and
complements
a
broad
range
of
educaVonal
approaches
such
as
whole
child
educaVon,
service
learning,
social-­‐emoVonal
learning,
and
civic
educaVon.
All
share
a
commitment
to
helping
young
people
become
responsible,
caring,
and
contribuVng
ciVzens.
from
the
Character
Educa/on
Partnership
www.character.org

9. Hack the Hood builds on a framework of:
• Caring and supportive relationships
• High/positive expectations
• Opportunities for meaningful participation
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.org
*

10. Hack
the
Hood
Program
Structure
• WHAT
– 6
week
program
– Instructors
train
youth
in
tech/web
skills
&
so_
professionals
skills
– Youth
create
web
sites
for
local
businesses
– Research
tech
careers
&
meet
tech
workers
– Visit
tech
companies
all
rights
@hackthehood.org
*

11. Program
Impact
on
youth
• Young
person
moves
from
consumer
to
producer
of
technology
• Hands-­‐on,
real-­‐world
learning—and
real
clients—build
youth
confidence
Youth
work
with
local
business
owners
to
build
their
website
• Youth
meet
and
work
with
tech
mentors,
workers
&
learn
about
tech
careers
• Design
career
plans
&
build
porcolios
all
rights
@hackthehood.org
*

12. Youth
graduate
with
experience,
insight,
relaVonships,
skills,
plans
and
a
community
of
like
minded
people.
*
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.org

13. Flexible
frame
for
imparVng
skills/
awareness
• Hard
skills
– Web
site
building
with
Weebly.com
– Photo
sizing
&
posVng
– Photo
research
– Search
engine
opVmizaVon
– Directory
lisVngs:
Google
Business
Pages
– Project
management
• So,
skills
– Public
speaking
– CollaboraVon
– Networking
– RelaVonship
management
– Understanding
• Lack
of
diversity
in
tech
• Cultural
fit
issues
• Types
of
jobs
available
• EducaVon
&
training
required
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.org
*

14. 2014
parVcipant:
Entered
with
no
tech
experience
Learned
web
development,
HTML,
CSS
basics
Built
5
websites
for
local
businesses
4+
pages
each.
Internship
placement
for
fall.
Fellowship
placement
in
the
Winter.
*
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.org

15. 2014
parVcipant:
Entering
11th
grade,
will
take
coding
classes,
planning
to
be
a
web
developer/engineer/game
developer.
Entered
with
no
tech
experience;
now
has
career
plan
for
tech
industry
&
mentor.

16. How
do
we
build
youth
understanding?
• Focused
on
student
understanding
of
skills,
outcomes
&
impact
• Related
immediate
web
dev
work
to
bigger
tech
ecosystem,
training,
opportuniVes
• Gave
youth
Strengthsfinder
assessment
&
invited
them
to
create
their
own
job
Vtles
• Invited
revision
&
amplificaVon
of
their
focus
during
program
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.org
*

17. Approach:
Hands-­‐on/leadership
focused
• We
did:
– Link
to
meaningful
immediate
work
– Link
to
jobs
&
careers
framework
– Encourage
student
leadership,
accountability
&
collaboraVon
using
social
media
(Twiler,
Delicious)
– Use
Scrum,
an
agile
development
Silicon
Valley
workflow
process
that
supports
iteraVve
development,
teamwork,
leadership,
accountability
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.org
*

18. SCRUM:
Daily
15-­‐min
meeVngs
• Scrum
Process
– Weekly
sprints
– Daily
scrum
(15
mins)
– Review
meeVng
– PresentaVon/
EvaluaVon
of
progress
at
Sprint
end
• 3
roles:
– Product
owners
(Instructors)
– Scrum
Master
(Project
Manager)
– Development
Team
(youth)
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.org
*

19. Using
scrum
for
our
workflow
process
meant
• Work
divided
into
week-­‐long
Sprints
• Each
youth
reported
on
work
daily
• Program
Manager/
Scrum
Master
assigned
work
• Instructors
could
focus
on
instrucVon:
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.org
*

20. How
can
we
include
young
people
of
color
in
a
leadership
pipeline
that
leads
to
good
jobs
and
careers
in
tech?
SCRUM
approach
sets
realisVc
goals
and
promotes
youth
in
leadership
roles
in
daily
meeVngs,
supports
teamwork
and
students
teaching
skills
to
one
another.
Core
lesson:
func-on
over
perfec-on.
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.org
*

21. Weebly
as
a
problem
solving
tool
• Youth are trained to work with
organizations—merchants, non-profits,
artists, etc--who need web services
• Youth talk with merchant and assess
needs, then design a web site
architecture and pages
• Youth work to collect assets from
merchant and web to create a custom
site
Teaching
for
understanding
Students
listen
and
arVculate
client
needs
,
using
their
new
skills
Students
show
mastery
of
skills
and
deepen
learning
through
pracVce
PracVce
makes
them
pracVVoners.
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.org
*

22. Hands
on
experience
as
pracVVoners
builds
a
bridge
of
confidence
when
youth
meet
tech
professionals
and
visit
tech
companies
*
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.org

23. Youth
work
with
common
web
dev
tools—which
also
builds
community
of
pracVce
with
pros
Google
Drive:
folders
&
collaboraVve
file
sharing
Dropbox:
large
file
sharing
via
the
cloud
Basecamp:
CollaboraVve
project
management
Facebook:
Social
media
outreach
Twiler
&
Delicious:
CommunicaVon
and
resource
sharing.
Google
Drive

24. Student, age 19
No previous web experience
Built multi-page web site for Vamp Music
(Vampmusic.weebly.com)
Offered to intern in 2015 with tech company—via his
mentor
*
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.org

25. images coming
Student, age 19
No previous web experience
Built multi-page web site for Big G’s Burgers
(biggburger.weebly.com)
Currently, interning with Hack the Hood through
his Life Academy High School

26. How
does
the
program
design
of
Hack
the
Hood
create
social
entrepreneurship
• Youth
learn
web/dev
skills
• Apply
skills
in
community
with
small
businesses
• Work
with
tech
mentors
on
career
development
• Visit
tech
companies
• Build
career
plans
&
porcolios
• Build
hard
&
so_
skills
• ConVnue
to
learn,
work,
build
relaVonships
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.org
*

27. Hack
the
Hood:
Lessons
learned
• Curriculum=Tangible outcomes for youth
• Link program activities to real-world skills and
broader framework of student development/
character
• Create systems for student accountability,
leadership development and team work
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.org
*

28. How
can
you
put
this
into
pracVce
in
your
tech
or
a_er-­‐school
program?
● Shift framework to hands-on project based
learning rather than isolated skills mastery
● Provide context with real world application for
student work
● Emphasize deadlines, deliverables
● Adapt Project Management (Scrum) for project
sprints
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.org
*

29. AcVviVes
Identify one thing you learned today that you
would like to implement in your program:
What would you add and what would be your
first steps?
How would you approach the obstacles?
What would be the benefits to your young
people?
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.org
*

30. Let’s
discuss!
*

31. More
about
Hack
the
Hood
Hack the Hood
--Web site: Hackthehood.org
--Twitter: @hackthehood
--Facebook: facebook/hackthehood
--Flickr:
www.flickr.com/photos/hackthehood2013
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.otg
*

32. Resources
Harvard University: Education with New Technologies:
Networked Learning Community http://bit.ly/1ykmv14
Best Practices, positive youth development, NPC Research,
http://goo.gl/T83Krl
Civic Engagement boosts 21st Century Skills
http://www.civicyouth.org/civic-education-boosts-21st-century-
skills
'Non-cognitive' Measures: The Next Frontier in College
Admissions - Students - The Chronicle of Higher Education
http://bit.ly/1InFob6

33. SEL
&
Character
EducaVon
Resources
• Social-­‐Emo-onal
Learning
(SEL):
www.casel.org
• Integra-ng
SEL
and
Academics
www.responsiveclassroom.org
www.devstu.org
(K-­‐6)
www.engagingschools.org
(MS
and
HS)
• Building
Resiliency:
www.tribes.com
and
hlps://www.resiliency.com/free-­‐arVcles-­‐resources/the-­‐
foundaVons-­‐of-­‐the-­‐resiliency-­‐framework/
• Character
Educa-on,
11
Principles
www.character.org
•
40
Developmental
Assets
hlp://www.search-­‐insVtute.org/content/40-­‐
developmental-­‐assets-­‐adolescents-­‐ages-­‐12-­‐18

34. Stay
in
touch!
Susan
Mernit,
susan@hackthehood.org
Damon
Packwood,
damon@hackthehood.org
Jackie
Shonerd,
jshonerd@acoe.org
all
rights
reserved
hackthehood.otg
*

35. Session Description
“Hack the Hood: Building Character through
Building Competency”
Learn how Hack the Hood uses project-based
learning as a strategy to create new behaviors that
transform youth, as well as the perceptions of
youth by local neighborhoods. Through a
curriculum focused on building youth leadership
skills, an entrepreneurial mindset, and cultural
competency, youth move from being passive
consumers of digital tech to being knowledgeable
workers and tech producers as they become
valued resources to local small businesses. Come
hear about character development and SEL in
action from the youth themselves and their adult
leaders. Workshop will be led by Jackie Shonerd,
Susan Mernit, and Damon Packwood.