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 Leonardo's Basement is an innovative educational organization for children and their families. We create imaginative learning environments where girls and boys ages 6 to 16 design and build their creative ideas, mixing art, science and technology. We provide exciting building experiences for over 600 children a year and introduce our programs to thousands more at neighborhood and community events.
View a short and entertaining video of children and adults building.
In 1998 a dozen elementary-age students at a Minneapolis Public School, Barton Open, asked parents to organize an after school club for hands-on learning. The girls and boys articulated that they wanted to work and play with peers who shared their interests in active learning. They craved an opportunity to choose and direct their own projects, create and build solutions to problems, go on field trips and to do so in a spirit of play and fun. They wanted activities they could best describe as "not like school." One year later some of the parents organized Leonardo's Basement as a tax-exempt, non-profit educational organization to provide after school and summer classes for more children.
The name Leonardo's Basement purposefully invokes the spirit of our intent. Leonardo daVinci remains the best representation of a curious and observing mind relating the disciplines of art, science, and technology. We also mean to convey that we are about discovery and experimentation and the informal atmosphere and creative work associated with heading down into the basement to tinker. Supervised, but kid directed, our projects give enormous discretion and power to children.
 Leonardo's Basement provides stimulating environments by providing workspace, tools, interesting materials, knowledgeable facilitators, and the freedom to discover and invent. Whether in our workshop, at schools, community centers or in churches, we set the stage for student achievement, with students themselves determining the process and products from which they may learn and succeed. We value process over product and expect that children will make many mistakes but forge on with enthusiasm.
We recognize that all children have different skills and experiences. We also recognize that each child has individual strengths. Many of our children are active, kinesthetic learners. Howard Gardner describes these children in his book Creating Minds. He writes that: "Individuals who ultimately make creative breakthroughs tend from their earliest days to be explorers, innovators, tinkerers. Never satisfied to follow the pack, they can usually be found experimenting in their chosen métier, and elsewhere as well... Often this adventurousness is interpreted as insubordination, though the more fortunate tinkerers receive from teachers or peers some encouragement for their experimentation."
We are influenced by a history of education psychology and philosophy that includes John Dewey (active learning), Jean Piaget (constructivism), and Howard Gardner (multiple intelligences). We believe that children should understand their learning strengths and employ them to develop skills and knowledge about their world.
 Mission and Goals Leonardo's Basement provides innovative learning environments for children aged 6-16 and their families to learn about themselves and their world designing and building creative projects mixing art and science with technology.
Our goals are to:
- design programs for children who are active, kinesthetic learners and builders;
- actively involve youth from groups often underrepresented in technical and science-related programs, specifically girls (goal, 40%), children of color (30%), and those from economically disadvantaged families (25%);
- educate families through hands-on activities and other learning opportunities.
Programs Projects and programs for kids at Leonardo's Basement grow from a simple belief that they are excellent judges of their own desires and need to learn. All of our programs have grown from children's interests and demands. The community-building program has grown from a need to offer our unique learning experiences to families, the desire of children to build and work in the real world with like-minded adults and our goal of helping parents to better understand the interests and needs of their children.
Safety IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY DUE TO A SERIOUS INJURY OR ILLNESS, CALL 911!
General Policy:
Our goal is to create a fun, engaging AND SAFE learning environment. Children will be supervised at all times. However, the potential for accidents remains. It is the responsibility of the student and parent to read these safety guidelines. Signing the registration form verifies your acknowledgement of the Student Safety Guidelines that are posted on the website.
Conduct:
1. Students may use tools such as utility knives, hot glue guns, hammers, saws, compressed air and power tools while at Leonardo’s Basement. Students are expected to use tools safely at all times.
2. During class, students need to remain in the area designated for that class unless the instructor gives permission for them to go elsewhere.
3. Students need to listen to instructions from their teachers and ask if they have questions.
4. Eating and drinking are only allowed at at appropriate times, and in appropriate places. Do not eat or drink at the computers or around other electronic equipment. Clean up is also required after all snacks or other food consumption.
5. Running, skateboarding, bike riding and roller shoes are not allowed inside Leonardo’s Basement.
6. Students or parents should report any equipment failure to a staff member. This includes broken or damaged tools, computers and other equipment.
7. Students may not disassemble anything that has an electrical cord attached to it.
8. Unacceptable behavior includes hitting others, throwing things, swordplay and wrestling.
9. Verbal bullying, hurtful teasing and generally being mean are not allowed at any time.
10. Students may not go outside without permission.
11. We acknowledge that projects make messes. In order to keep the workshop safe, students need to clean up at the end of class and whenever an instructor asks them to clean up.
12. Cigarettes, illegal drugs and alcohol are not allowed at Leonardo’s Basement.
13. If a student sees someone doing something unsafe, he or she should notify an instructor immediately.
What to Wear:
Students should wear clothes that are appropriate for a workshop and studio environment. This includes:
1. Feet should be totally protected (no sandals or open toed shoes or flip flops).
2. Long hair must be tied back/secured if working with tools.
3. No loose clothing or jewelry (loose sleeves, shirt tails etc). Any apparatus with moving pulleys or shafts (pumps, power tools) presents special safety concerns. Loose clothing poses a particular hazard when working with this type of equipment.
4. Safety glasses are required whenever working with or near hammers, jigsaws, and compressed air or when otherwise requested by an instructor.
5. No personal stereos (I-Pod, Walkman, etc.) in work areas.
6. Students may not use cell phones during class time.
Know the Environment:
Be aware of the location of the fire extinguishers, eye wash stations, and first aid kit. These are for emergencies only.
What To Do in Case of an Accident:
1. In case of fire or accident, notify your instructor at once.
2. If you should get a chemical or other irritant into your eyes, notify your instructor immediately and wash with water from the eyewash station.
Disciplinary Actions:
Depending on the circumstances, a student who disregards the rules of conduct or engages in inappropriate or unsafe behavior may be subject to discipline such as a verbal warning or a phone call to parents. A student may also be sent home, with or without a prior warning, if the instructor determines that circumstances make such an action in the best interests of other class participants.
Additional Policies:
1. Procedure on Release of Kids:
a) A parent, guardian or other designated adult must pick up a student directly from the teacher at the end of class;
b) Students may not wait outside Leonardo’s Basement for any reason;
c) Students may not go to Anodyne unaccompanied;
d) Written parental permission is required before a student will be allowed to walk, bike or take the bus home.
2. Field Trip Procedure:
a) Instructors should be sure the shop manager knows if participants are leaving the workshop; and
b) At least one staff member must have a working cell phone at all times when off site on a field trip or otherwise with Leonardo’s Basement participants.
3. Staff will not administer aspirin, ibuprofen or other non-prescription medications to participants. Parents or guardians need to notify staff and provide written permission if a student needs to take prescription medication while at Leonardo’s Basement.
By the way, the dozen kids who inspired the program are now doing very well in high school and college. Three of them teach summer classes! top
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