See how teens are helping people of all ages learn today’s technology at Phoenix public libraries.
Ted Simons: In tonight's edition of "Arizona Technology and Innovation," we look at a program that involves teenagers passing on their tech knowledge to others producer Christina Estes has the story.
Christina Estes: On the fourth floor of the central library in Phoenix, Anthony Joshlin and his fellow interns lead a class on video came design. Thanks to government grants, feature hired 13 high school student to support.
Christina Estes: Mark 1 constants for makers, artists, crafters and hackers. We do everything from science experiments to computer classes to experiments and tech classes. Terry Ann Lawler says there's a special focus on science, technology, engineering and math.
Terry Ann Lawler: When they graduate from high school nowadays you need to be prepared to go on to college. Or they need to be prepared to work in the S.T.E.M. industries. The nice thing about classes in the library that are S.T.E.M. based, they are ungraded. There's no pressure to perform. It's more of a playlike atmosphere.
Christina Estes: Playing with the 3-D printer is pretty popular.
Terry Ann Lawler: From working here they get a lot out of it. They get customer service skills, tech skills, troubleshooting skills. They learn how to work as a team.
Christina Estes: Ask the interns what they have learned and a theme quickly emerges.
Anthony Joshlin: I have a lot more patience than I thought I had.
Student: I have more patience than I gave myself credit for. This job, when it comes to teaching older people thing, they have an attitude like they are willing to learn, and it's just like hurry up and get me through what I need to do.
Student: I've had adults come in and when they find out I'm the teacher they look at me funny. O it's you. But it's really interesting getting to teach adults just because you don't expect to have the roles reversed like that. In the world of technology, my generation's grown up used to a lot of these things. The older generation is learning from us now.
Christina Estes: We didn't find older people in this class. These students range from six to 16.
Anthony Joshlin: So now you have the choice to put that character in and then you start making it.
Christina Estes: When the internship ends Joel and Leah plan to attend college. And Joe plants to enter the army.
Anthony Joshlin: Time is really important here and in the military. At the end kids have to leave, come back, things like that. It makes youware of things at all times. I ask them to watch in my peripheral vision to make her they don't wander off, keeping them on task, things like that.
Christina Estes: The library hopes to bring on new interns this fall. And it sound like they will have a tough act to follow.
Terry Ann Lawler: I think that any one of my teens could be President and I'd be happy about that.
Ted Simons: The youth services manager says they are always looking for adults to share what they have learned or volunteer to teach other S.T.E.M. classes.
