Ambrose Printshop - Client-based work at WMCAT

Learning is more powerful when stakes are high, and they are rarely higher than when learning is in the context of a real world situation, with real consequences and challenges. Client-based work is one way to create an environment where this is possible for youth. Client-based learning allows them to experiment and apprentice in a real-world context, as well as learn valuable skills for the workplace and life, all the while knowing that the product of their learning is useful and important for their community.

The video showcases how client-based work operates at the Ambrose Print Shop at the West Michigan Center for the Arts and Technology in Grand Rapids, where apprentices produce T-shirts and posters for their community.

Guiding Questions

• Do client-based work pedagogies align with your core youth development goals?
• If so, what kinds of disciplinary areas (film, web design, fashion, etc.) within your programming represent opportunities for client-based work?
• What kind of client-based work model makes sense in your organizational context? A more social enterprise approach that develops revenue, or a prototyping approach where clients aren’t paying, but rather serving as audience?
• How can you configure project roles among students and staff to support learning?