Session: Builder Bootcamp, Summer 2021

Builders: 37 students, ages 9-13

Materials: white paper, colored paper, pencils, markers, pens, glue sticks, risograph (or photocopier), miscellaneous art supplies (stickers, glitter, clay, etc.)

Description: In the arts component of the summer 2021 Builder Bootcamp, our students collaborated to create an illustrated cookbook zine. Instructors Meghann Harris, Hannah Geitner, and Bethany Kaylor kicked off the project by facilitating a discussion about food, family history, and mutual aid in the Bay Area. Inspired by edible gardening and the connective power of food, each student then selected a recipe from their family to design for the zine. From jook to pierogis to mac n’ cheese, our students used a variety of mediums to illustrate their recipes: pens, pencils, markers, stickers, beads, and even 3D objects like clay sculptures. The pages were then copied and printed on the risograph machine and assembled into a zine. The final result was a colorful cookbook, filled with recipes that celebrated the cultures and histories of our students and staff members. Each week of Builder Bootcamp created a zine; the 3-volume set is available for sale in the Girls Garage shop.