TEHAMA JUVENILE HALL MAKERSPACE
Innovative leadership at the juvenile hall and Carlson’s excitement for the project helped to make the makerspace a reality. It was funded through a partnership between the hall and the county Office of Education, and is open every afternoon if there are adult volunteers willing to be in the space with the youth.
“When they walk in the experience is something they’ve never had in their lives,” Carlson said. The makerspace isn’t school and it doesn’t feel like jail either. “Because it’s something different, it opens their minds and lowers their filters a little bit,” Carlson said. She’s worked hard to make the space feel cozy and comfortable, and they’ve built a culture of respect inside the room that is hard to find elsewhere in the detention facility.