Situated in Silicon Valley, the City of Palo Alto is regarded as the center of the high tech industry. Maker+ leverages abundant technical community resources with beautiful library spaces to play a significant role in helping youth achieve their aspirations in solving problems they identify. Maker+ fills a gap in school curriculums by linking subjects and connecting the use of technology to significant issues the community as a whole faces. By fostering innovation and facilitating civic participation, Maker+ answers our design-thinking question: How might the library provide opportunities for community youth to discover, build, and grow skills for the future?

Externally, the program sets an example for libraries to be seen as unique platforms for inviting youth to wrestle with both social and technological challenges. By empowering them and connecting them to the communities where they live, the program encourages them to learn more about technology through hands-on activities while fostering ideas for addressing social issues. Internally, the program is an integral part of the Library’s STEAM program. It supports the 41 Developmental Assets, which are core principles in the Library’s and community's strategic direction. Maker+ serves as a way to strengthen the PACL's partnerships with community leaders and businesses.

Fifty-two local high school students and seven accomplished individuals from high tech industries attended the week-long program in 2015. By the end, 54 ideas were generated to address a variety of issues, including responsibly consuming energy and effectively coping with emotional stress. Two ideas emerged for prototyping: building a sensor for shower heads and creating an app for organizing students’ activities. Post-program surveys showed participants felt inspired by new ideas and ways to approach problem-solving, as well as new ways to connect technology with humanities. Summer 2016 will see another group of teens continuing the process in a similar format.