Volunteer

Join In-person or World-wide, Virtual Repair Initiatives!

Repairers: Are you an experienced or aspiring repairer? Are you looking to start or promote repair in your community, or just help you and your neighbors fix stuff? You and other local repairers anywhere in the world are most welcome to join the Global Fixers Server or Zoom Fixit Clinics, even if it's just to observe. (You're also most welcome to bring your local "stumpers" to be considered by the assembled Global Fixers.)

In-person Fixer/Observer sign-in at https://bit.ly/inpersoncoachsignup

(Virtual Fixer/Observer sign-in at https://bit.ly/fixitcoachsignup)

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(Below is information for in-person events)

Volunteer as a Fixit Coach at an upcoming, already scheduled Fixit Clinic here >>> (sign up form)
OR
Look for a Fixit Clinic starting up near you to volunteer at here >>> (interest form)

FIXIT COACHING Q&A:

What do I need to know? Not much: my standard answer is "Any two people can run a Fixit Clinic as long as one of them knows how to solder." That's a little pat. but since Fixit Clinic is billed as "guided disassembly" all you really have to do is give people permission to open up their stuff that's already broken -- what to they have to lose?

Educate. Fixit Clinic is about teaching people how to fix, not handing them a fix. Try to be as hands off as possible, offering encouragement and advice. You don't want to deny the participant the gratification of having fixed their item (almost entirely) by themselves.

As a self-help workshop Fixit Clinic encourages attendees/ participants/ guests to participate in their own disassembly, troubleshooting, and repair. See how far they can get without you touching their item: sit them in front of it and hand them tools and other resources as necessary and minimize your intervention. As they're finishing, ask "What did you learn?"

Delegating the repair to the attendees/ participants/ guests also frees you up to float around the room, see and participate in lots of repairs, mingle with your fellow Fixit Coaches, and gives us the capacity to handle more people if things are really busy.

If you're coaching for the first time at an established Fixit Clinic location, just watch the other coaches do. We encourage lots of cross training because no one knows everything. Over time, the diversity of your skills will grow. We encourage all coaches to cross-train: to move between items being disassembled so that they can teach what they know while learning about lots of different items.

If you're still nervous about helping people disassemble and troubleshoot their stuff, there are always roles such as:

- Checking people in (see the sign in for here --> sign in form)
- Doing internet research on items and issues with that item other people might have had
- Documenting the Fixit Clinic with photos, video, or audio

Do I need to bring tools? A small toolkit with some basic tools is always helpful. If you're coaching for the first time at an established Fixit Clinic location, chances are the other Fixit Coaches bring tools to share or the venue itself will have shared tools you can use. If you have unique or unusual tools you're willing to bring those are always appreciated. (See the recommended tool and supplies list (note that you don't need everything on this list to get started): https://docs.google.com/document/d/10QnLXYFM0BIl-ApDTNiF8QPcQbIMl5ft_LLkB_diDCs/edit?usp=sharing

Fixit Coaches will often end up with each others' tools, we just return them then or at the next event. I have a collection of shared tools that I put out on a central table for the participants to use. We've had 200+ Fixit Clinics and I have yet to lose a tool as far as I can tell. Nevertheless: if you have tools that you're really concerned about losing don't bring them.

Other questions about coaching? Email fixitclinic@gmail.com