Your neighborhood maker space should be one of the first places to open on the neighborhood square; the next should be a place that teaches young people useful skills. Think of it as your “craftsmanship center." A maker space is perfect for people who are a bit more mature, maybe in their mid-20s or older, but a craftsmanship center is ideal for people just out of high school, or maybe who didn’t make it to graduation and who need a bit more structure. The skills they learn there should be useful in the neighborhood. If most of your houses are wood-frame, then woodworking skills are important. If most of your houses are masonry, then you should be training at least some of your craft apprentices to be masons. If there are several restaurants nearby, you may want to teach cooking skills. Have the young people apply to your program; these jobs aren’t subsidies, but rather opportunities to learn crafts that will make the kids a good income. You may need to get funding in the beginning to get your craftsmanship center going, but once it’s fully established, it should be self-funding from the useful work your students are doing.
Who can do this?
What does it cost?
Who can help?