Learning what motivates young people is essential to my work at Connected Lane County. And I have learned there is no better motivator than the combined opportunity to be creative while affecting change.
Whether working with youth to gain professional, life, or technical skills, my colleagues and I at Connected Lane County create opportunities and prepare youth for their lives beyond high school. When this training is paired with a meaningful cause, the results can be game changing.
Two such projects came to our Agency youth group this past program year: upcycled tote bags and temporary wood installations for increasing accessibility. The Agency is a paid work experience that provides a select cohort of youth with the opportunity to grow and further develop skills in manufacturing and project management. By completing small-batch projects for local businesses and nonprofits, youth learn essential job skills to succeed in real-world industries.
The City of Eugene Transportation Department, in partnership with the Waste Prevention Department, reached out about upcycling vinyl event banners into tote bags custom designed to fit the bike share baskets. This would keep rolls and rolls of incredibly durable—and non-biodegradable—vinyl out of the landfill and transform them into usable items.
Parker, one of our veteran Agency youth, worked on prototyping the tote bags, creating a pattern template, and beginning production of a 50-bag order.
 The second project came from the Central Lane Metro Planning Organization, whose Youth Council was interested in creating temporary installations to test engineer increasing accessibility in our urban settings. Two more Agency youth, Quentin and Leo, took on this project using computer-aided design (CAD) to create digital models of installation pieces like benches, ramps, pedestrian islands, and bike racks. They then learned to operate the 6’x10’ computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine at Spark at Booth-Kelly to cut the designs from sheets of plywood.
“I learned so much about building, engineering, and client management working on this project,” reflected Leo. “And it’s been cool seeing the pieces we made out in the community.” Quentin and Leo produced 11 different pieces that could be used in local events as a low-cost test before permanent installations were decided on, potentially saving money and eliminating unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions from construction.
These projects are terrific examples of how Connected Lane County brings together community members with innovative project ideas and creativity-driven youth to solve problems.
About the author
Justin Thibedeau is the associate director of Connected Lane County and played a crucial role in the establishment and growth of its Spark program, increasing opportunities in STEM education for underrepresented youth. With extensive experience coordinating maker spaces and engineering labs, he empowers young people to explore STEM fields and computer science pathways through hands-on design challenges and innovative curricula. Contact [email protected] with Agency project ideas!
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