HIRING: Assistive/Adaptive Technology Mentor for teen tech design program – $35/hr. contract
http://mousesquad.org/hiring
HIRING: Assistive/Adaptive Technology Mentor for teen tech design program – $35/hr. contract
The Mentor:
MOUSE (www.mouse.org) is seeking talented designers, and makers with physical computing, engineering, programming or robotics experience and an interest in sharing those skills with NYC youth. This person will join a small team of high school design students working alongside volunteers with different abilities to identify and prototype new assistive/adaptive technology projects.
The mentor would ideally have experience/knowledge of the following:
- Physical Computing, Engineering, Robotics, or Programming
- Human-Centered Design
- Assistive/Adaptive Technology
- Experience or strong interest in working with youth
Time commitment:
- Approximately 1-3 meetings a month (Tuesdays 4pm-6pm) from January, Feb, March, April and May.
- at least 3 hours of prep time monthly.
- 1 10am-3pm Saturday Design Retreat (probably in January or February)
- optional: Emoti-Con NYC Media and Technology Challenge (for you and your students to present their project) – usually the first Saturday in June
- optional: Maker Faire NYC – usually in September at the New York Hall of Science. Our student projects are showcased in the Youth Pavilion on Saturday
The Students:
These students are part of the MOUSE Corps leadership & technology program (learn more here:
http://www.mouse.org/programs/mouse-corps). They meet at MOUSE’s headquarters every Tuesday at 4:00 to work on their “Legacy Project” – a design project that addresses a global or local need using technology.
The Project:
Each year, student Legacy Projects focus on a new design area. Last year, we had the wonderful opportunity to work with United Cerebral Palsy. Our students were able to interview and collaborate with volunteers with Cerebral Palsy to conceive, ideate and design assistive technology prototypes. In December and January, MOUSE Corps students learn techniques in human-centered design, observation and interviewing skills. When an authentic need is identified, teams will participate in an all-day Design Retreat to brainstorm ideas. These ideas will go through several phases of iteration (starting with paper/analog prototypes) throughout February/March. In April/May, Technology Mentors will help youth learn and build the technology behind their idea. In previous years, students worked with Tech Mentors to add distance and ultrasonic sensors to wheelchairs for the blind. In May, students also prepare their projects for display at conferences.
Contact:
Please email maggie@mouse.org if you are interested. Please include a resume and a paragraph about your interest and experience. Thank you!