Our Workshops
We have worked with over 1,300 secondary school students, small-holder farmers, women, and microentrepreneurs through our Innovation Workshops with over half female participation.
(And this does not include our international workshops conducted in the United States, Uganda, and Zambia as well as our work helping to organize and host the International Development Design Summit 2014 here in Arusha, Tanzania.)
This Workshop is traditionally conducted as a 5-day workshop but is flexible to the needs of the participants – in fact, our weekly 2-hour sessions are quite popular for schools.
STEM Outreach
Our STEM outreach program aims to empower and inspire the next generation of problem-solvers! By introducing primary and secondary students, as well as other potential partners, to our work and the support we offer for implementing innovative ideas that solve community challenges, we are helping to nurture a passion for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Through hands-on activities, such as small electronic projects related to class subjects like physics, we are giving students the opportunity to explore their interests and develop new skills.
Build It Workshop
Our Build-It workshop is a one- to three-day program for school students aged 6-16 that introduces them to design through projects like building flashlights from conduit pipes and wires, salt holders from plastic bottles, and solar-powered phone chargers. The workshop also includes an introduction to running a small business and budgeting, and sometimes travels to remote villages. We also offer a two-hour Introduction to Electronics Workshop for secondary schools. In the future, we plan to offer customized corporate workshops to promote intrapreneurship and problem-solving skills.
Technical Mentoring & Advising
Beyond our workshops, we provide a more personalized form of learning through technical mentorship and advice. This is perfect for those who wish to delve deeper into their workshop projects or acquire specific skills such as welding or lathing.
Our mentors are experienced and knowledgeable in these fields, ready to guide you through the learning process. Whether you’re looking to refine a project you started in one of our workshops or you’re eager to learn a new skill, our mentors are here to provide the support and guidance you need.
This program allows for a more tailored learning experience, catering to your specific interests and goals. It’s an excellent opportunity for hands-on learning under the guidance of experts in the field
Creative Capacity Building Workshop
The Creative Capacity Building (CCB) Workshop, adapted from MIT, introduces participants to the fundamentals of design. We teach the design cycle of build-test-iterate, and participants learn through seeing examples of appropriate technologies, completing design challenges, and building one of our technologies with hand tools. After this hands-on learning, participants immediately apply their problem-solving skills by working in teams to identify shared challenges, brainstorm potential solutions, and design & build one of their ideas. This Workshop is traditionally conducted as a 5-day workshop but is flexible to the needs of the participants - in fact, our weekly 2-hour sessions are quite popular for schools.
Innovation Club
The program provides students with the opportunity to learn about innovation, develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and work on real-world projects. The program is designed to be hands-on and engaging, and it encourages students to think outside the box.
The Innovation Club Program is inspired by the MIT D-Lab Creative Capacity Building (CCB) methodology. CCB is a community-driven innovation methodology that teaches participants how to design and build low-cost solutions to the challenges they face. CCB workshops are hands-on and visual, and they are designed to be accessible to participants from all backgrounds.
