#knightfdn

[bouldertreeopp-blog]

TreeOpp: How Cities Can Embrace the Maker Movement and Create Social Change

It can be easy to feel cynical about the direction of the maker movement as what started as a grass roots movement seems to be increasingly commoditized. The maker movement is everywhere these days…

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Reid Hoffman took to @TheDailyShow last night to discuss the future of #AI & #aiethics: https://t.co/UCIumNkj2f

— Knight Foundation (@knightfdn) September 1, 2017

[bouldertreeopp-blog]

A job skills program for the homeless.

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Unfortunately 120+ public ash trees are coming down due to #EAB. Glad we can reuse some of the wood with #TreeOpp.

[bouldertreeopp-blog]

Reuse your urban tree in Boulder too!

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Meet the #TreeOpp crew and see their awesome work at BLDG61!

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Make Community Newsletter #4: Making Round the World

Read about #TreeOpp and BLDG61 in Make Magazine's national newsletter!

[bouldertreeopp-blog]

Why I got involved with #TreeOpp

By Andi Jobe

From the moment I heard about TreeOpp, I knew I needed to get involved with this project. It is the perfect mixture of my three biggest passions: the environment, social impact, and creative expression. This project takes two issues, dying ash trees (due to the invasive emerald ash borer beetle) and homelessness, and offers a creative solution.

I attended two of the recent public Ornament Workshops, where the apprentices from Bridge House’s Ready to Work program showed participants how to create snowflake ornaments. The ash wood had been previously cut, sanded, and stained, then after going through the laser cutter process, a beautiful, personalized ornament was created for participants to take home. 

 I got to know the apprentices from the Ready to Work program and could immediately sense how proud they were of their new skills. Their excitement was contagious as they spoke about their craft and shared photos of other projects they’ve completed. 

Each apprentice had a unique story to tell, whether it was of a troubled past or just bad luck, yet they were determined to do this job and do it well, demonstrating hope and excitement for their future endeavors. For some, it was their first time with woodworking, and for others, this has been a long-term interest. Either way, this experience will no doubt leave a lasting impact on their lives.

I left the workshops feeling as if my heart was touched in a magical way. If other communities approached these kinds of issues with this amount of creativity and dedication, I can only imagine how far we could come as a society. This is just one more reason I’m proud of my Boulder community, and I look forward to sharing my experiences from TreeOpp to educate and inspire others. 

Andi Jobe is an interior designer in Boulder, Colo. Her website is www.andijobe.com.