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  1. Makaia
  3. Technology for Social Change
  5. ICT Appropriation / Digital Skills
  7. Innovation Labs

Innovation Labs

Project Execution:  2020- Currently

Location: Medellín, Colombia

Beneficiaries:

Young people between 14 and 18 years.

Innovation Labs

In the Innovation Laboratories we develop a model of training and creative training for the generation of proposals that respond to problems and needs of participants, motivating the use of ICT tools as a means to impact from social innovation.

Participants acquire principles of electronics, robotics, programming and Arduino (open source hardware and software), as well as IT skills for the development of solutions to social, economic, health and environmental problems, identified in their own contexts, involving the strengthening of soft skills for personal and professional development.

Training stages

The laboratories are developed in 5 phases

Foundational Course: Essential Technology Principles. Provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts and principles of technology, encompassing Arduino, electronics, programming, and project development. The course’s hands-on approach enables students to apply the acquired knowledge through practical exercises and real-world projects.

Creative Ideation: cultivates problem-solving skills through the utilization of Arduino, a popular microcontroller platform. Participants will explore various tools and techniques to strengthen their logical thinking abilities, enabling them to design and implement innovative applications for gaming and recreational activities.

 

Social Innovation: empowers participants to identify and address social needs and challenges through a series of engaging exercises and diagnostic tools. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the concept of social innovation and its practical applications, with a particular focus on examples relevant to the context of young people.

 

In-Depth Learning:Building upon the identified community needs, participants will select one of the pre-designed focuses: e-agriculture or home automation. In this phase, students will enhance their programming skills by delving into digital electronics, circuit simulation, and electrical circuit assembly. Throughout the in-depth learning component, project models will be presented through sessions showcasing real-world experiences with social innovation proposals and multimedia materials to introduce participants to other initiatives and diverse information sources.

Experimental Incubator:The Experimental Incubator serves as a platform for applying the acquired knowledge throughout the training process to address specific needs within the daily lives of each beneficiary or their community. Participants construct a prototype solution by integrating technological advancements as a response to a social issue identified and selected by the working groups. Through this integration of knowledge, the youth design solutions for real community needs or to enhance opportunities in their areas of interest.

Objetives

General

To develop a training model and creative training for the generation of proposals that respond to problems and needs of the participants in the Department of Antioquia, motivating the use of ICT tools as means to impact from social innovation.


Specific

  • To train participants in IT skills for the development of social, economic and environmental problems identified in their own contexts, and in soft skills for their personal and professional development.

Achievements and projects developed

In 2020 we trained 23 young people – 17 men and 6 women – during the pandemic and in a virtual way, ensuring that each of the beneficiaries had a robotics kit so that they could develop projects with which they could provide a solution to problems of its environment.

Get to know some of the projects carried out: