Video creator Casey Neistat two weeks ago gave most of us the first peek we've had inside Northridge Mall in nearly 15 years. But what he gave 100 young minds from the Boys & Girls Club means so much more. "When I was a teenager, shopping malls were the social gathering place for all of my peers, and that's no longer the case. There's some irony in the fact that it's completely empty and we thought we could leverage that to once again a gathering place for young people, but do it in a different way," Neistat told WISN 12 NEWS last week in the atrium of the mall, which had been turned into a "Winter Wonderland" set for his upcoming YouTube video.The night prior, Neistat and his crew, along with 18 other YouTubers, visited the Roger And Leona Fitzsimonds Boys & Girls Club on North Avenue and worked with young people to show them how to turn their ideas into creative videos. Technology giant Samsung, who sponsored Neistat's project, stepped up with an "insane" amount gear, as Neistat put it, and outfit the children with Samsung phones, accessories and creator tools. "Our message to kids is .. you can be just like these creators. All you need is a phone," said Paul Leys, a Sheboygan native who now heads creator engagement initiatives at Samsung. "It's nice to sort of like remember that this is a very attainable thing with technology and the platforms." Transported by bus to the vacant complex on Wednesday afternoon, the 100 children knew they were going to help Neistat use their new tools and knowledge to help him create one of his world-famous videos (Neistat's YouTube channel boasts more than 8.4 million followers), but they had no idea the scope of the project or what was in store for them. Neistat's video, "Abandoned Mall Turned Into Winter Wonderland," published Monday afternoon, shows the surprise and joy on the young peoples' faces when the first see -- and enjoy -- the skating rink, the holiday train, the snowboard ramp and Gingerbread house. Get breaking news alerts with the WISN 12 app or our email newsletters.Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

Video creator Casey Neistat two weeks ago gave most of us the first peek we've had inside Northridge Mall in nearly 15 years.

But what he gave 100 young minds from the Boys & Girls Club means so much more.

"When I was a teenager, shopping malls were the social gathering place for all of my peers, and that's no longer the case. There's some irony in the fact that it's completely empty and we thought we could leverage that to once again a gathering place for young people, but do it in a different way," Neistat told WISN 12 NEWS last week in the atrium of the mall, which had been turned into a "Winter Wonderland" set for his upcoming YouTube video.



The night prior, Neistat and his crew, along with 18 other YouTubers, visited the Roger And Leona Fitzsimonds Boys & Girls Club on North Avenue and worked with young people to show them how to turn their ideas into creative videos.

Technology giant Samsung, who sponsored Neistat's project, stepped up with an "insane" amount gear, as Neistat put it, and outfit the children with Samsung phones, accessories and creator tools.

"Our message to kids is .. you can be just like these creators. All you need is a phone," said Paul Leys, a Sheboygan native who now heads creator engagement initiatives at Samsung. "It's nice to sort of like remember that this is a very attainable thing with technology and the platforms."

Transported by bus to the vacant complex on Wednesday afternoon, the 100 children knew they were going to help Neistat use their new tools and knowledge to help him create one of his world-famous videos (Neistat's YouTube channel boasts more than 8.4 million followers), but they had no idea the scope of the project or what was in store for them.

Neistat's video, "Abandoned Mall Turned Into Winter Wonderland," published Monday afternoon, shows the surprise and joy on the young peoples' faces when the first see -- and enjoy -- the skating rink, the holiday train, the snowboard ramp and Gingerbread house.

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