YOUTH ACTIVITIES & ENTREPRENEURSHIP SHOWCASE

Abbott Square, Santa Cruz - July 18th 2026

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INTRODUCING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ARTISTS, PERFORMERS AND INNOVATORS IN SANTA CRUZ!

The 3DE Club Family Education & Entrepreneurship Showcase brought together youth-serving nonprofits, arts organizations, and community partners for a unique event celebrating art, creativity, and entrepreneurship.

Families enjoyed a fun and inspiring experience while discovering some of the best educational, arts, and enrichment opportunities available for children throughout Santa Cruz County.

Youth Arts Showcase

Featuring Local Creative & Performing Arts Programs

ART

Participate in a DRAWING CHALLENGE assisted by Janice

Janice Serilla

Art & Design

Janice Serilla is a contemporary American artist. Painting dogs, cats, and farm critters in acrylic on canvas is the perfect subject for her artwork because she is passionate about animals.

MUSIC

Performance and Interactive SING-ALONG with Genoa Brown

Genoa Brown

Everyone's Music School

Everyone’s Music School makes a positive impact in people’s lives. We believe that the arts are the soul of humanity and need to be nourished.

DANCE

Interactive DANCE EXPERIENCE with Paris Cannon

Paris Cannon

Intl. Academy of Dance

Dance for JOY. Train for LIFE. Classical ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, tap, hip-hop, and musical theater. Excellence, performance, lasting friendships, and a community that feels like home.

THEATRE

Join Fun ACTING ACTIVITIES with Lindsey Chester

Lindsey Chester

All About Theatre

All About Theatre strengthens Santa Cruz County’s creative spirit and distinct sense of place by empowering young people and inspiring a vibrant community of artists and audiences.

DRAWING CHALLENGE

Janice Serilla with Arts & Design

Kids enjoyed creating their own artwork and expressing their creativity while participating in a fun, hands-on drawing challenge led by Janice Serilla.

Young entrepreneurs and artists joined contemporary artist Janice Serilla for a hands-on drawing challenge that encouraged creativity, problem-solving, and self-expression.

Through this interactive experience, children developed creative thinking skills that are at the heart of the 3DE Club's mission to inspire the next generation of innovators, makers, and entrepreneurs

The activity highlighted how creativity and imagination are essential skills not only in art, but also in entrepreneurship, design, and innovation.

By encouraging children to explore ideas, experiment, and express themselves, Janice helped young participants discover the connection between artistic creativity and turning ideas into reality.

MUSIC & SING-ALONG

Genoa Brown- Everyone's Music School

Children sang, clapped, and joined an interactive music experience with Genoa Brown, discovering the joy of music through fun songs and participation.

Children joined music educator Genoa Brown of Everyone's Music School for an interactive music experience and sing-along that encouraged creativity, confidence, and collaboration.

Through music, young learners strengthened communication and self-expression while discovering how the arts help develop the skills needed to become future innovators and entrepreneurs.

The experience showed children that creativity, teamwork, and the ability to share ideas are important skills that extend beyond the arts and into entrepreneurship, leadership, and problem-solving. By exploring music in an interactive way, participants discovered another pathway for developing imagination and confidence as young creators.

DANCE ACTIVITY

Paris Cannon - Intl Academy Dance

Kids danced, moved, and learned new steps during an energetic and engaging dance experience led by Paris Cannon.

Kids got moving with Paris Cannon from the International Academy of Dance in a fun, interactive dance session filled with energy, creativity, and laughter.

As they learned new moves and expressed themselves through dance, they also built confidence, teamwork, and a love for trying something new.

The activity showed children that creativity can take many forms and that skills developed through the arts—such as communication, collaboration, and confidence—are valuable tools for future innovators, leaders, and entrepreneurs.

ACTING & THEATRE PERFORMANCE

Lindsey Chester - All About Theatre

Children stepped into the spotlight with Lindsey Chester of All About Theatre, using their imagination through fun acting games and interactive theatre activities.

Along the way, they built confidence, learned to express themselves, and discovered the joy of storytelling and performing.

By exploring theatre and performance, students learned that creativity and confidence are powerful tools for sharing ideas and inspiring others.

Entrepreneurship Showcase

Featuring Santa Cruz Organizations Driving Innovation & Entrepreneurship

KEYNOTE SPEECH
First Steps for Young Entrepreneurs

Doug Erickson

Santa Cruz Works

Santa Cruz Works connects entrepreneurs, employers, students, investors, civic leaders, and community builders so more world-class companies can start, grow, hire, and stay in Santa Cruz.

santacruzworks.org

YOUNG INNOVATORS
Turning Ideas into 3D Printed Products

Milo

3D Entrepreneurs Club

3D Entrepreneurs (3DE) Club is a nonprofit after-school enrichment program that empowers students to explore creativity, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy through the innovative medium of 3D printing technology.

3de.club

DESIGN THINKING
Process for Creating Real-World Products

Niall Macken

Spanner Design

Spanner was created to deliver a superior approach for engaging with innovators, entrepreneurs, and designers where Spanner teams up with its clients through all aspects of product evolution—from idea to launch.

www.spannerpd.com

TOY INVENTION
Creating Toys Through 3D Prototyping

David Silverglate

Sky Design Studio

David's design philosophy is creating beautiful, functional, durable, and patentable children's toys and products. He has invented the Oball (100 million+ units), Modarri Vehicles, Woosh Flying Ring, Sky Blaster and a number of other products.

skydesignsstudio.com

DRONE & ROBOTICS
Future Careers with Advanced Technology

Chris Bley

DART

The Monterey Bay Drone, Automation and Robotics Technology (DART) initiative brings together industry, government, academia and practitioners in these industry clusters and provides a regional coordination and advancement forum.

mbdart.org

ENTREPRENEURSHIP KEYNOTE

Doug Erickson - Santa Cruz Works

Doug Erickson, Executive Director of Santa Cruz Works, delivered the keynote presentation, encouraging families to nurture entrepreneurial thinking and creativity from an early age.

Doug Erickson inspired families and young entrepreneurs to dream big by sharing his journey as a lifelong entrepreneur and community leader.

As Executive Director of Santa Cruz Works and founder of Santa Cruz New Tech, Doug encouraged children to embrace curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving—showing that every great business or invention begins with a simple idea.

His presentation connected strongly with the 3DE Club’s mission of inspiring the next generation of creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs.

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS SHOWCASE

3D Entrepreneurs Club - Mia Interviews Milo

Demonstrated how 3DE Club young entrepreneurs are transforming ideas into real 3D-printed products while developing entrepreneurship, financial literacy, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

3DE Club students Mia and Milo showcased their entrepreneurial journeys by presenting their own products, which they have developed, pitched, and sold at multiple community events.

Milo shared his “Boss Station,” while Mia presented her “Sandy Garden,” demonstrating how young innovators can turn creative ideas into real products through design, problem-solving, and entrepreneurship.

Their experience reflects the 3DE Club mission of helping students become confident creators, entrepreneurs, and future leaders.

TURNING IDEAS INTO PRODUCTS
Niall Macken - Spanner Design

Niall Macken has spent more than 30 years helping companies transform ideas into products used around the world.

As Director of Mechanical Engineering at Spanner Product Development, Niall Macken works with inventors, entrepreneurs, and technology companies to design, prototype, test, and manufacture new products.

Niall shared how 3D printing is much more than making plastic objects—it's one of the most powerful tools engineers use to turn imagination into reality.

DESIGNING TOYS WITH 3D PRINTING

David Silverglate - Sky Designs

David Silverglate has designed and invented some incredibly successful toys that have been enjoyed by millions of children around the world.

Some of his creations, include the famous Oball, Modarri toy vehicles, the Woosh flying ring, and the Sky Blaster. The Oball alone has sold more than 100 million units!

David shared how toys are invented, how ideas develop from sketches into real products, and how 3D prototyping can help bring new ideas to life.

ADVANCED DRONES & ROBOTICS

Chris Bley & Lucas - DART

Children explored the exciting world of drones and robotics with Chris, discovering how technology, engineering, and creativity come together to solve real-world problems.

Through hands-on demonstrations and interactive learning, they were inspired to think like future inventors and innovators

This connection between STEM, creativity, and entrepreneurship reflects the 3DE Club’s mission to empower young learners to become confident makers, innovators, and future leaders.

EXHIBITOR BOOTHS

Mount Madonna School | Free Books for Kids

Beyond the scheduled presentations, families explored interactive exhibits featuring 3D printers, robotics demonstrations, technology experiences, children’s activities, and community resources from local organizations and partners, including Mount Madonna and other participating exhibitors.

Children had the opportunity to engage with art, music, dance, theatre, entrepreneurship, design, and innovation activities throughout the showcase, creating a hands-on learning experience where they could discover new interests, explore their creativity, and connect with the many opportunities available in Santa Cruz County.