Modern-age clubhouse online in Naenae

BY LEE-ANNE EDWARDS

Young people make up 68.5 per cent of Naenae's population, so a youth computer initiative that opened last week should find a ready audience.

The Naenae Computer Clubhouse in the YWCA Hall is an after school drop-in centre for 10 to 18-year-olds.

Equipped with a computer suite and music studio, co-ordinator James Kirkus-Lamont hopes the clubhouse will become a regular stop for teens.

The concept started in 1993 when the first clubhouse opened in Boston, United States.

The aim was to provide a creative and safe community-based learning centre where young people work with adult mentors to explore ideas, develop skills and build confidence through technology.

In the following 17 years, the network has spread worldwide and now boasts tens of thousands of members.
Naenae is the fourth centre to open in New Zealand, joining others in Otara, Hamilton and Whanganui.

"It's a learning community where young people are encouraged to work as designers, inventors and creators," says Kirkus-Lamont.

"We want to find projects that will engage our users and hope they will give us lots of feedback so we know what sort of programs they're into."

Despite the name, it's not just computers the clubhouse offers. There's already a sound studio onsite and, funds allowing, equipment will be purchased to enable musicians to produce their own music and videos.

They'll also get a go at robotics, websites, 3D modelling, animation, photography, computer simulations, multimedia and computer-game design.

"We want to turn out confident computer users and through gaining skills I think they'll be more confident people too."

At last week's opening, students from Taita College quickly discovered programs that allowed them to manipulate their own images and place themselves into film clips and photos.

But for one young man, his first port of call was the Wendy's hamburger website to check out where the nearest one to the Hutt is.

"Someone told me there was one close to here, but it's not true."

American research undertaken on the Clubhouse's impact on young people reports a high retention of members over an extended period of years. Young people demonstrate high levels of motivation and a commitment to projects.

The same research also reports that as an extended learning opportunity, the Clubhouse has a direct impact on the young person's commitment to stay at school and their long-term learning and career goals.

Funding for the centre came from the Department of Internal Affairs Community Partnership Fund with help from the Hutt City Council, WelTec and Team Naenae.

Outside of Clubhouse hours, the centre will be used as a resource for the rest of the community including local groups and training organisations.

Naenae Computer Clubhouse, open weekdays (during term time) from 3pm till 7pm for ages 10-18, YWCA Hall, 25 Treadwell St, Naenae. Find out more at computerclubhouse.org.nz

- Hutt News