On April 6th, 20 mentees and mentors, along with four SLM staff, gathered at The Foundry, a makerspace in Cambridge, for an afternoon of connection,  learning, and fun. This event was part of our CLIMB (Community, Learning, Interdependence, Mentoring, and Belonging) program for transition-aged youth. CLIMB exists to provide more intensive supports to meet the unique needs of youth aged 16+ as they prepare to age out of the foster care system.

At the Foundry, mentees and mentors received a tour by Foundry staff who explained the different equipment and opportunities that the makerspace offers. Then, mentees & mentors rotated through three stations where they tried out 3D printing, laser cutting, and jewelry making. 

Three fantastic local artists and makers served as our rock star facilitators, and our young people and mentors took with them their self-made laser-cut images, 3D-printed trinkets, and jewelry.

One SLM mentor said, “My mentee was initially the most disinterested in jewelry making  and then he loved that station the most! The teacher was amazing.”

We love being able to provide new experiences for our mentees. One mentee even discovered a hidden talent: “I realized I’m really good at making rings. Can’t believe that.”

We were excited to welcome everyone from brand new matches to some of our longstanding  matches to the event. We are also proud to be able to pay our mentees for their engagement in this program. Paying our young people for taking part in opportunities like this creates increased access and equity, and allows mentees to attend without having to worry about the event’s opportunity cost (if they could be working or making money elsewhere).  To earn additional funds, we provided mentees the opportunity to complete a pre-work curriculum module on building hobbies and interests.

SLM Staff Suzannah Blass had this to say about this memorable afternoon: “It was such a delight to see both mentees and mentors in a completely new space trying out a new skill. None of the mentors or mentees had ever been to a makerspace before! Exposure to new skills, opportunities, trades, hobbies, etc. is what we hope for at CLIMB events and this event definitely accomplished that.”

Interested in learning more about mentoring a young person in foster care? Check out the Become a Mentor page and explore options for attending an upcoming volunteer info session.