24th May 2024 • by Surya Narreddi
T-Works Launches Open Source Curriculum to Educate Innovators
At T-Works, we are building an ecosystem that nurtures and empowers innovators and makers, crucial catalysts for India's economic growth in the age of product innovation.
Our mission is to create a vibrant culture of hobbyists, makers, and innovators who can drive India's transformation into an innovation powerhouse. In pursuit of this goal, we are thrilled to launch an exciting collaboration with the Office for Digital Design (ODD).
Through this partnership, ODD has crafted an open-source maker's curriculum and workshops that will drive citizen engagement, empower participants to become innovators of tomorrow, and foster a thriving community of creators.
As a premier prototyping center, we recognized the need for comprehensive training and workshops to equip aspiring innovators with the necessary skills. Initially designed for novices, our existing "Make It!" workshops were valuable and laid a strong foundation.
Building on the success of these introductory sessions, we have now extended the curriculum to offer more advanced and specialized tracks. This extension provides a clear path for continued growth, fostering repeat registrations and long-term engagement.
A Progressive Open Source Curriculum
and Workshops
To address these limitations, we developed an open source curriculum and structured workshops that offer long-term value to participants, the city, and its culture. The curriculum encompasses workshops in woodwork, metalworking, 3D printing, electronics, and ceramics, organized into levels of increasing difficulty: beginner, intermediate, advanced, and professional.
The curriculum is designed to be progressive, ensuring that learners can advance from foundational skills to professional expertise through a structured and phased approach. We are launching the curriculum in phases, starting with foundation classes, and subsequent progressive classes over the coming months. This phased rollout ensures a manageable and sustainable introduction of new content, allowing participants to gradually build their skills.
Cultivating Innovation:
Our vision is to transform India from a country known primarily for its service industry to one that excels in innovation. To achieve this, we believe cultivating a culture of makers is paramount. T-Works is a catalyst for this transformation, providing the tools, resources, and structured learning paths necessary for individuals to become proficient makers. As participants progress through the curriculum, the level of guidance decreases, encouraging
Independence and self-initiated projects:
Our collaboration with Office for Digital Design has resulted in a transformative open source curriculum for T-Works. This initiative will address the limitations of our current workshops, drive citizen engagement, foster intergenerational learning, and pave the way for a vibrant maker culture in our city. We invite everyone to join us on this exciting journey and become part of a community of makers, innovators, and lifelong learners.
Accessibility and Citizen Engagement:
One of the primary goals of our curriculum is to remove barriers and make the makerspace accessible to a broader audience. By offering detailed information about each class, including schedules, instructor profiles, learning outcomes, and additional resources, we aim to demystify the makerspace experience and provide a clear understanding of what to expect.
T-Works as a Third Space for Intergenerational Learning:
The makerspace at T-Works at its core is a "third space," distinct from work and home, where individuals can gather, learn, and create. Our curriculum caters to a wide age range, from eight years old to senior citizens, fostering social cohesion and building social capital through shared learning experiences across generations.
Key Features of the Curriculum
Learning Through Making:
A unique aspect of our curriculum is the emphasis on learning core skills through hands-on creation of artefacts. Each class revolves around developing a specific project that serves as a practical application of the taught skills. For example the ceramics beginner class guides learners in creating a vase or bowl, imparting skills like clay shaping, glazing, and firing.
This project-based approach reinforces theoretical concepts through tangible accomplishments participants can proudly showcase, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for maker disciplines by connecting skill acquisition to functional or decorative artefacts.