I feel that I’m starting to really understand the value of having an open learning environment for the children. In the past we have grappled with the idea of having a more streamlined signup process so we can manage better but today I felt that openness is one of our biggest advantages.  Today some children came and told us that there was a science workshop that they wanted to attend. They wanted to borrow some stationery from the center since it was a requirement for them to bring it. Another child came and told us that he could not attend another center anymore since he had taken too long of a vacation. All these children had an interest to learn something but were not able to because of external factors and this has been a recurring theme.  Some children can come to our space only if they bring their 5 year old sibling along, some children can only come at certain times, other children do not have stationery to bring and there are many children who need to fill up water for their homes during the evening. There are also many cases where children simply cannot regulate their own behaviour when they come in initially. Over time we’ve tried to make a conscious effort to not say no and include everyone who wants to be there. I feel that as a center we can be almost like a home base for children from which they can explore the world knowing that we are always here to welcome them back. Looking at success stories online, I always wondered how some other spaces are able to build drones, mobile apps etc and I get the sense that there is a tradeoff between the amount of openness and the ability to create such complex projects; not to say that it is not possible to create complex projects in a more open setting, just that it takes longer. I feel that all these different types of places at various points in this spectrum are important but after hearing the children I felt that there is a need for an extremely open space and that’s the gap I think we are trying to fill in. With almost zero barrier to entry we are able to welcome children whose circumstances are more challenging. While there is a chaotic environment of people walking in and out and there is material being stolen every now and then I feel that even if a few children can benefit from our inclusivity it’s worth it.