Two adults MINIMUM are needed. Initially I planned to do experiments, model-making and boat-building with all the kids for an hour or two at a stretch, turning the group over to my partner for active games so the kids could recharge and I could have time to prepare the next activity. Two things changed this. First, my partner had to intervene in problems with a couple of the kids, spending a fair amount of time in one-on-one conversation with them early-on in the program. This is impractical in a one-man shop, but was important here. Second, I discovered that I was unable to build with a large group. Safety was one issue, but the main problem was simply that I could not keep the large group productive, since most jobs were of short duration and I found myself going crazy finding new jobs for all the kids as they finished the old ones. In addition, many jobs required my sustained close attention, rendering me unable to attend to other kids. Our solution was to break the group in half. In the beginning, I gave my partner tasks that were a little outside his comfort zone. Eventually I decided that he could simply take half the kids (amounting usually to four or five) at a time and play games with them, and at roughly equal intervals we would trade kids. That worked pretty well, and we stuck to it during the greater part of the month. We still did at least the openings and closings together.
Adapt or die. My idea of doing good experiments and discussing and writing about them would have been excellent educationally, but was DOA with these kids. Nothing that looked remotely like school would fly. What experiments there were became quick and very informal. Writing virtually disappeared. I still think my ideas were good, just not with this group at this time.
Find out what they like. The model-building, which I expected to be the fun part, wasn't fun for most kids. It just made them feel thumb-fingered. On the other hand, a couple of the kids really got into the model-building, but didn't make themselves heard until nearly the end of the program.
Expect the unexpected. After a brief session at home where I had a couple of kids helping by sawing the ply boat panels, I assumed that sawing would be drudgery. Accordingly, I planned that kids would saw in teams of two (one holds the wood, the other saws, they switch off), and that teams would spell each other. In realilty, most of the kids would kill to get their hands on a saw, and as they became more skillful their enthusiasm increased rather than flagging. I seldom had any trouble recruiting kids to saw.
Make sure everyone is productively busy. I knew this up front, but there were important nuances I had to learn along the way. I found that I could seldom keep more than four kids usefully occupied at once--there were simply not enough eyes to go around, and getting kids finished with one job starting on another takes forethought. Since my group averaged eight, this meant putting my adult helper to work: he played games with half the kids, while I built with the other half; we'd switch at the halfway point.
Adjust your target to accommodate reality. I had visions of the kids learning to read and follow plans and instructions (great literacy training!), but that didn't happen. In the end, I told them what to do and they (sorta usually) did it.
Take advantage of the charge people get when they learn a new skill, or create something with their own hands. My kids did both.
Make sure you FINISH THE BOATS. I quickly realized that I could not afford to "get close": on launch day there HAD to be boats to launch. As a result, I cheated a bit: putting a little extra time into some tricky jobs, or the boring but necessary finish work. I didn't hide the fact; the kids aren't purists and they KNOW that THEY built those boats--even if I helped.
In the end, the kids didn't get out of the program what I had hoped they would. They didn't become especially proficient at measuring, and using fractions and decimals. They didn't learn much science, or get any but very rudimentary experience of the scientific method. they didn't become more proficient readers or get better at following written instructions. They didn't learn much design. They DID learn how to handle saws, electric drills, screwdrivers, and so on. But what they really took away, as the boats took shape, as the whole church community came together to bless them, and as their parents looked on in pride when the boats were launched, was the deep satisfaction of their achievement, and the sense that they could accomplish something impressive. The expression on each child's face said, "I AM somebody!"
