Scaling the Clubhouse Network for young women and girls

The Clubhouse Network comprises 100 Clubhouses in 19 countries, providing 25,000 underserved youth with access to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) resources, skills, and experiences. We will expand this network to see more young women and girls pursue STEAM careers, contribute to their communities, and lead outstanding lives.

The Clubhouse provides vulnerable young people with a flexible, out-of-school environment to develop the skills, knowledge, and connections required to have STEAM careers.

Girls represent 42% of the Clubhouse’s global membership – a notable percentage in light of persistent societal biases against women in STEAM.

The expansion of the Clubhouse Network into developing countries via World YWCA member associations will specifically address the need to see vulnerable young women empowered to pursue careers in STEAM.

Our theory of change is that the Clubhouse learning model empowers vulnerable young people to become more capable, creative, and confident learners, therefore increasing their likelihood to finish school, and pursue further studies or careers in STEAM.

Global surveys of Clubhouse members show:

• 94% plan to continue with their education after high school

• 97% of Alumni said the Clubhouse was the most important source of support for setting high goals and expectations for themselves

• Members have learned to use more technology (91%), are more confident using technology (88%), and use technology more often (84%) as a result of the Clubhouse

  

Within four years, 400 young women and girls will directly benefit from the impact of new YWCA Clubhouses in Solomon Islands, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, and Samoa. Many more boys and young men will also benefit from the solution.

Target outcomes:

(a) Ensure girls and young women have access to STEAM skills, mentoring and career pathways

(b) Ensure girls and young women complete their schooling

In eight years, our goal is for the Clubhouse Network to have established eight YWCA Clubhouses in eight countries, impacting 800 girls and young women daily.

• Track membership numbers, frequency of attendance, and quality of engagement at every Clubhouse

• Track percentage of girls and young women represented in overall membership numbers

- 400 young women and girls become Clubhouse Members in four countries in four years.

• Track mentor numbers, frequency of attendance, and quality of engagement at every Clubhouse

• Track number of members that participate in industry training and work experience opportunities

- 80 industry professionals become Clubhouse Mentors in four countries in four years.

• Monthly surveys run with Clubhouse members

• Bi-annual surveys run with parents and teachers of Clubhouse members

- 90% of Clubhouse members embrace learning and school

90% of Clubhouse members identify their own strengths and unique talents

The Clubhouse model is unique in that it engages vulnerable young people from a range of social and cultural backgrounds, outside of the school setting. Clubhouses are operated by partner community organisations, who can provide young people with additional services and supports.

Unlike traditional educational spaces, young people work alongside adult mentors who support them to create, invent, and explore their interests through industry standard technology. This experiential learning approach allows young people to become problem-solvers and critical thinkers, learn to work collaboratively with others, and gain a sense of ownership and of their own potential.

The Clubhouse learning approach references research from education, developmental and social psychology, cognitive science, and youth development. It recognises the role of affect and motivation in learning, the importance of social context, and the interplay between individual and community development:

Learn by designing

Engage in designing and inventing, not just passively receiving information.

Follow your interests

Care about what you work on, work longer and harder, and learn more in the process.

Build a community

Collaborate with diverse people to gain new perspectives on the world.

Foster respect and trust

Respect everyone’s ideas and opinions, take risks, experiment, learn, innovate.

Four new Clubhouses will be established in collaboration with YWCAs in Solomon Islands, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea and Samoa – joining established YWCA community programs and services, accessed by approximately 6000 young people.

Clubhouse members will have access to The Village, a private members-only social network. Here, young people connect with the global community of Clubhouses in a safe and collaborative way.

Members collaborate with each other by sharing tutorials, joining interest-driven groups, liking and commenting on each other’s projects, and critiquing each other in constructive ways. By connecting peers with similar interests, the Village builds a youth-led learning community.

Over the course of this four year project, YWCA Canberra and the Clubhouse Network will work with the Solve Community to explore how we might develop a viable social enterprise business model around Clubhouses.

For example, in some contexts, Clubhouses could be used as a co-working space during non-Clubhouse hours. Desk space, internet connectivity, and access to equipment could be hired as a fee-for-service, and this could be managed by Clubhouse members.

Another idea we are exploring is running fee-for-service training sessions for local teachers and youth workers on how to use Clubhouse technology. Clubhouse members and Coordinators could be involved in the development and delivery of this training, therefore engaging members in meaningful, real-world projects.

• Risk: Equipment is stolen from Clubhouse sites, and/or sites are vandalised.
• Mitigation: Work with the Solve community to identify a security partner to provide technical and physical security services.
• Risk: A social enterprise model isn’t viable in some contexts, and therefore we need to ensure there are local philanthropic and corporate supporters to cover operational costs of some Clubhouse sites.
• Mitigation: Develop cross-country support model where revenue from some Clubhouse sites offsets the costs of other sites, and collaborate with the Solve community to explore other solutions.

http://ywca-computerclubhouse.org.au/

http://ywca-computerclubhouse.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/YWCA-Canberra-Clubhouse-2016-Impact-Report_WEB.pdf

http://www.computerclubhouse.org/

We believe that scaling the Clubhouse model is one of the simplest and most effective ways of ensuring vulnerable young people gain the skills, support, and connections they require for the workforce of the future. The Clubhouse model: 

• Aligns with Solve's values in that it relies on collaborative, cross-sectoral partnerships, and is driven by young people. 
• Has relied on philanthropy to date. The Solve community could play a role in designing a viable social enterprise model to support Clubhouses to become financially self-sustaining. 
• Engages professional mentors. The Solve community could connect us with potential Clubhouse mentors at new locations.   

Key partners are:

• YWCA Canberra, Australia

• Clubhouse Network, USA

World YWCA is a supporter, and the Clubhouse Network will leverage its partners:

• MIT Media Lab

• Best Buy

• America’s Promise

• USAID

• UNICEF

• U.S, Department of Justice

• Site community leaders, eg Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development, South African Association, Youth Clubs

We aren’t aware of any competitors.