Tinker Manual:
Staffing Guide

Faculty/ Instructor Lead

Before Academy

• Coordination and administrations
  • Secure Tinker Academy dates in makerspace.
  • Establish budget and apply for grant funds.
  • Review call for applications. 
• Recruit, hire, and train techs
  • Identify four undergraduate students who have experience working with makerspace equipment. 
  • Meet with techs 3 to 4 times before the academy to discuss academy logistics, schedule, activities, and expectations. 
  • Help prepare supplies and activities for academy.
• Recruit and train undergraduate mentors
  • Solicit interest in being a volunteer mentor with the program.
  • Write mentor application.
  • Accept students for mentor program.
  • Train mentors by meeting 2 to 3 times before academy to discuss logistics of programs, expectations, and mentorship traits.
• Design, schedule, and prepare academy
  • Create academy schedule to include maker activities, maker challenges, team building, and mini “field trips” to visit other department or labs near by.
  • Communicate and coordinate other opportunities for the program. This has included involvement from:
    • Biology department
    • Geology department
    • Physics department
    • Nursing department
    • Library 
    • VR Club
    • Other Outreach (such as “SitWithMe” and “Red Chair”)
  • Create a supply list and make all necessary supply purchase 
• Communicate with and organize participants
  • Send email to participants with details about program and welcome
  • Create a spreadsheet with a list of participants, pickup information, and important emergency contacts and information (this could be delegated). 
  • Create participant check-in and check-out sheets.

• Purchase snacks for the participants and for showcase.
• Schedule Showcase and advertise time and place to interested parties.
• Delegate responsibilities and supervise staff assistant
  • Staff duties
    • Collect and organize participant responses after being accepted.
    • Communicate with accepted participants if conflicts with schedule arise.
    • Creating spreadsheet of participant information
    • Purchasing supplies or food if necessary.

During the Academy

• Lead activities with girls
• Organize techs to lead activities with gris
• Supervise techs, mentors, and participants
• Manage conflicts that may arise (this may include arguments between participants, concerns from parents, medical, etc.)
• Implement schedule so that girls are always supervised by techs (this includes lunch times, breaks, pickup and drop off).
• Communicate via email with parents regarding participant concerns. 
• Manage and run all of academy movement.
• Design survey and collect girls’ responses from takeaways of academy

Post-Academy

• Meet with techs to discuss takeaways from academy and what went well and what should be improved for future programs.
• Create an end-of-program summary for grant funding organization.

Tinker Academy Undergrad Techs

• Meet with the faculty lead before the program to discuss academy logistics, schedule, activities, and expectations. 
• Become familiar with the Makerspace equipment and roles
• Prepare supplies for activities as instructed by faculty lead.
• Assist and lead activities with participants
• Lead “Equipment Workshops” with groups of participants. 
• Supervise girls’ use of maker equipment 

Staff (Academic Coordinator) Duties 

• Collect and organize participant responses after being accepted
• Communicate with accepted participants if conflicts with schedule arise
• Creating spreadsheet of participant information
• Purchasing supplies or food if necessary
• Assist in any conflict management as necessary

CTE/ CWISE Duties

In past Programs, the following items were completed by the grant funding source (CTE and CWISE). In the event that other funds are secured, the following duties must be complete by other staff or volunteers. 

• Advertise program and recruit girls
• Create and collect applications
• Select participants