Kickstarter

Are HackerMoms really exclusionary, reverse sexist, anti-women, anti-men, anti-dad and anti-hackerspace? 8 hours left to tweet/facebook/share/donate your opinions, even with our Anti-HackerMoms friends. We wrote this article where you can read some hate mail excerpts and our responses. http://mothership.hackermoms.org/2012/11/anti-hackermoms-send-hate-mail-hackermoms-respond

In light of such messages, we appreciate your support all the more for seeing the value of Mothership HackerMoms. As the article says, "We wanted to answer these critics with personal stories about why HackerMoms matters and why for members, it’s a matter so close to the heart." Our Kickstarter is racing to a close. Happy Thanksgiving to you. You have made ours a happy one with this happy ending.

Gratefully yours,

Sho Sho Smith, Founder

Luck and good fortune have surrounded HackerMoms from day one. We are incredibly thankful to our family, friends and supporters for making our Kickstarter dreams come true. We're in our final 24-hours and we couldn't have made it without you!

Thanks to our video's amazing cast of bad-ass moms, dads and mini makers. I always imagined our Kickstarter as a visual time capsule that marked the beginning of HackerMoms. It was truly a labor of love. It was a collaboration of words and ideas peppered by wine, chocolate and meatball grinders. It was beautifully directed by two brilliant film students (Alise and Greg!) who stumbled by our hackerspace and into our hearts forever. Even our "crying'" baby stars (who were scripted to "happily babble") had fun stuffing our pink donation bra post nap time.

As a founding member, I've witnessed how far Mothership HackerMoms has grown on little more then sweat, determination and ingenuity. Collectively, we've created a haven for women to prosper as artists, makers, hackers, inventors, entrepreneurs and mothers too. HackerMoms are a smart, talented, funny, interesting and eclectic group of women who support each other and inspire me in so many ways. We just welcomed our first HackerDad too. We have become the mythical village that helps raise the entire family. Every mom (or partner) should be so lucky.

With better tools, equipment and programs, your donations help fuel our imaginations and the possibilities are endless. On behalf of Mothership HackerMoms, a million thanks and then some.

Fondly,
Karen Agresti
Director of Marketing & Social Media

There are 54 more hours to tweet/facebook/share/fund HackerMoms! As Director of Education and Community Outreach at Mothership Hackermoms, I get to use my almost two decades worth of experience in teaching and educational programming to change the way in which our own kids approach STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) learning. Like it's older sibling, Hacker Scouts that I started with my husband, Hacker Sprouts has a very specific method based on the developmental needs of it's participants. Hacker Sprouts is designed for 2-7 year olds, who need lots of symbolic or imaginative play, experiences that develop their ability to see alternate points of view, and opportunities to learn autonomy and confidence. Your donations will help purchase materials, hire quality instructors and provide scholarships. Thanks for helping us get to the finish line!

Gratefully yours,

Samantha Matalone Cook, Director of Education and Community Outreach

I'm Hayden Sims, Operations Director for HackerMoms. Please share/tweet/facebook in our last 8 days! I'm proud that we offer members free weekday childcare in our space. We've done it by developing relationships with the Oakland Unified School District and their Community Immersion Program. The interns are students aged 18-22 whose mild learning obstacles make them unemployable to some. 

But my husband, a therapist, teaches these young adults every day and knows their capabilities and talents when given the chance. HackerMoms offers them onsite job training and Oakland pays wages, with positions that range from junior childcare interns to janitorial service. We believe in them and integrate them into the community. They develop confidence, skills and a resume. We get sponsored childcare for our kids. It's a win-win for both communities.

Thank you for believing in HackerMoms, too. Your pledges will keep this community outreach program thriving.

Gratefully yours,
Hayden Sims

Ps. I'll present more about this and hacker/maker culture at the San Francisco Green Festival tomorrow! Check us out on Women 2.0 and The Maker Mom.

At our original goal of $10,000, we had underasked to avoid falling short and losing all funding, per Kickstarter policy. NEW GOAL: $6,850 in our 10 final days. Why this figure? Scroll down to see that $16,850 is the original total in our "Reality Check" description. This last chunk will help us not cut corners on construction, buy more equipment and create great Hacker Sprouts classes like Zetta Tech Science's Toddler Tech class. 

So please post on Facebook and Twitter (most donations come from there) and tell your parent friends across the country. You can send also them yesterday's 11/6 wired.com article about us! 

New Prizes 

Be rewarded with service, sponsorship and scholarship instead of cool stuff. Thank you to Sage Vann of Seattle for sending in this wonderful idea. 

$75 Scholarship: Distant supporters can sponsor a local for 2 free workshops. Locals can attend 2 free workshops.

$150 Scholarship: Distant supporters can sponsor a local, eligible HackerMom for one month of free membership. Locals are eligible for one month of free membership.

$300 Scholarship: Distant supporters can sponsor a local, eligible HackerMom for 3 months of free membership. Locals are eligible for three months of free membership. 

 $750 Scholarship: Distant supporters can sponsor a local, eligible HackerMom for 6 months of free membership and her child(ren) for 2 Hacker Sprouts classes. Locals are eligible for 6 months of free membership and 2 Hacker Sprouts classes. 

$1,500 Scholarship: Distant supporters can sponsor a local, eligible HackerMom for 1 year of free membership and her child(ren) for 3 Hacker Sprouts classes, or an annual family membership to the Lawrence Hall of Science, Exploratorium, MOCHA, or a local zoo or museum. Locals are eligible for 1 year of free membership, 3 Hacker Sprouts classes, or an annual family membership to the Lawrence Hall of Science, Exploratorium, MOCHA, or a local zoo or museum of your choice.