Imagine yourself as a young kid in school. You’ve got your friends, access to social media, and a schedule that includes attending classes. Outside of school, you have hobbies and maybe a few after-school activities your parents signed you up for. Life is fine. Then one day, while walking into class, you come up with an idea: a custom clip that holds a speaker to your backpack. Excited, you tell your friends, but they ask, "That’s cool, but how will you make it?" You pause. You don’t have access to a machine shop, the tools, or the skills to bring your idea to life. You briefly think of 3D printing, but you're unsure where to begin. You don’t have the money to buy a 3D printer, let alone know which one to choose. And even if you did, how would you design and create your idea? What do you do?

Front Desk Concept Art

FundedYouth at Parkway Plaza Mall in El Cajon - 2 Parkway Plaza Mall Space Kid Looking In

That’s where FundedYouth steps in. Our mission is to introduce young people to the world of 3D printing and product development. We’re creating educational content that takes students from having zero experience to becoming heroes in the field. They'll learn how to turn their ideas into physical, working products. We want to give students the tools and opportunities to make anything they can imagine. To make this happen, we’re setting up a public location for after-school programs at Parkway Plaza Mall in El Cajon, CA. This space will provide students with the necessary classes, computers, and 3D printers to bring their ideas to life.

Open Labs Concept Art

Open Labs 1 Open Labs 2 Open Labs 3

Now, imagine this: you're a parent, and your phone mount in the car breaks. Sure, you could buy a new one online, but instead, you ask your child if they could design one for you. What have you just done? You've shown your child that you believe in them—that something they create will have real value to you. Every time you get in the car, you’ll be reminded of how proud you are of the custom product your kid made just for you. Now imagine a few days later, you’re telling your co-workers about it. Not expecting much, they ask for one too, and they’re willing to pay for it. You message your kid to see if they can make a few more for your friends. Thanks to their experience in the FundedYouth program, your child knows how to price their work. Because of your initial vote of confidence, your kid now has that entrepreneurial spark. You've just given them a foundational experience that could shape their future. Way to go! You’re an awesome parent.

Classrooms Concept Art

Classroom 1 Classroom 2 Classroom 3 Classroom 4

The Location

We will be located next to Dick's Sporting Goods Mall Entrance. Directly next to Youth Venture.

Mall Space Empty

Why we need financial support

To build this space for the public, we need funding for essential resources like facilities, electricity, internet, computers, tables, and more. While the mall is offering us an excellent deal, we still need help to keep this valuable resource available to the community. Your support will initially go toward setting up the storefront, open labs, classrooms, security, and ensuring the entire system is well-integrated. We finally have the space; now we need the community's support to bring it to life. Imagine a public access space where students can come and create anything they dream of.

Robotics teams can come and utilize the space for testing. Let's also mention the benefit of air conditioning, direct access to food and drinks in the mall or around it, lots of parking, and so much more.

Initial Breakdown

Yearly Rent
Monthly Utilities
Keeping Filament Material Stocked for use
Laser Machine Materials
Internet
Security

What's in the works?

To learn more about FundedYouth please visit the website and the docs site.

(Web) https://fundedyouth.org/
(Doc) https://fundedyouth.github.io/mkdocs/

Two new projects we are working on include weekly Remix Challenges and the MVP 3D Printing Series.

Parkway Plaza Mall Public STEAM Lab/Makerspace

By FundedYouth.Org

Parkway Plaza Mall Public STEAM Lab/Makerspace