MyMachine Slovenia is a true bottom-up initiative, originally set up by Howest University (Belgium). Here we target mechanisms to scale solutions appropriately across education and training sectors, and connect and engage children to think out-of-the-box by inventing their own ‘Dream Machine’.
The MyMachine methodology will be adopted by kindergartens and primary schools in three steps
- children from primary schools and kindergartens (in Slovenia aged 4 to 14 years) invent and present (via drawings, models, manuals, …) their own ‘Dream Machine’ – an example would be a machine that helps one put peanut butter on a sandwich to a machine that cleans ones room, with the emphasis that it’s relevant for the child who really, really wants it,
- in a next phase higher education students (ex. product design students) propose one or more solutions to design those machines. The best solutions – according to the children – are then selected and further developed, and
- the technical drawings/designs and working concepts are handed over to Technical Oriented Secondary Schools (vocational training) (for pupils aged 15-18 years). They build real prototypes of those machines, assisted by the kids who invented them and the higher education students who designed them.
Throughout this whole process the children, pupils and students can use the expertise and support of a wide range of local corporations and organizations who share a common view on creativity and innovation.