This project is one of the 2020 WISE Awards finalists.
This project is one of the 2019 WISE Awards finalists.
MyMachine delivers the “I can do that”-perspective to all participants. The unique methodology of MyMachine lets children in primary school invent their own ‘dream machine’ (anything goes, as long as they really, really want it); university students and vocational secondary students help design those and build them as real working prototypes.
The challenges of the 4th Industrial Revolution require a fundamental change on how we prepare students for their adult lives. We need to bring them 21st century skills that will serve them for life. Education will have to change to prepare students for the current innovation economy: a new world emerging on the crossroads of artificial intelligence, enabling technologies and big data. The W.E.F. calls it the 4th Industrial Revolution. To enable young people to survive and thrive in this challenging context, education will have to shift from solely knowledge transmission to including 21st century skills development.
Students learn that having ideas is important. That you shouldn’t be afraid to express your ideas -even if they sound a bit weird or challenging in the beginning. They learn what it takes to bring an idea to life; and that you can do it by respecting each other’s talents, co-create, collaborate and not giving up;
Teachers and professors experience that learning can benefit from a different set-up then the traditional closed classroom setting. The moment students realize that what happens in a classroom can impact the real world, they start looking at their education in whole new way.
MyMachine is a unique inter-generational co-creation process: in one school year:
1. Step1: Primary School Children invent a “dream machine” (IDEA). Anything goes, as long as they really, really want it.
2. Step2: University Students (engineers, product designers, digital designers etc.) step in to translate that into a CONCEPT.
3. Step3: Technical Secondary Students make a WORKING PROTOTYPE.
These 3 steps are not divided. While collaborating as peers, students can use the expertise of local corporations & organizations that share a common view on creativity, STE(A)M, entrepreneurship, project-based and maker-centered learning.
Project based learning is key in transforming the education system. Education done right makes an impact on communities by enabling young people to drive their own future, to create their own start-up or to become the self-motivated, problem solving, creative team workers that companies and organizations are looking for. In MyMachine they learn how they can contribute to society, rather than just be a consumer of it.
As the students of MyMachine understand, if one sees the world as malleable, than one can better affect change and shape one’s world. All students learn that they can also contribute to society rather then just be a consumer of it.
We are still growing our model through:
1) setting up local partnerships (franchise)
2) our global MyMachine DreamsDrop Campaigns (http://dreamsdrop.mymachine-global.org).