Making Making Justice | Teen Bubbler

Making Justice is a makerspace initiative that is building community in Madison, Wisconsin. We are a diverse collective of artists, activists, educators and students in the greater Madison metropolitan region, home to one of the nation’s widest black/white educational achievement gaps and highest per capita black juvenile arrest and incarceration rate. Addressing community-wide learning gaps that disproportionately impact minority youth, we collaboratively develop written, audio, visual, and performance projects—as well as life skills—building relationships with neighbors we might not otherwise engage.

Making Justice evolved from Madison Public Library’s Bubbler initiative, which taps community resources to foster hands-on, peer-supported learning and digital literacy. Our programs include weekly workshops; an artist-in-residence opportunity; University of Wisconsin-Madison community-based learning courses; and a summer Media Academy. A model for community based educational enrichment, Making Justice has informed program redesign at Madison Public Library and the Madison Metropolitan School District.

This curated community article documents who we are, what we do, as well as how and why we are Making Justice. It captures an ongoing dialog that sustains relationship-building in our programs and the greater Madison community.

Thank you!

We are deeply grateful to our community partners who have shared their thoughts, time and talents with Making Justice, as well as our generous sponsors.