• This MOOC is a dedicated e-learning environment of the mAkE project, aiming to establish a joint learning space for African and European DIH networks. The courses are organised around 05 main themes: Organizational development, Collaborations and Opportunities, Business and Makerspaces, Information and communication, Mediation science -society for social innovation.

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Available courses

GESI: Gender Equality & Social Inclusion

This course provides an introduction to Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, covering key concepts, theories and practical applications.

Students will learn about Gender Equality and Social Inclusion within the context of Makerspaces. They’ll gain hands-on experience with developing their own tools for making the space more inclusive and accessible. They will explore this through developing their own Makerspace Guidelines, Code of Conduct and small project addressing a specific need of their Makerspace.

By the end of this course, Makerspaces will:

  • Be confident in the behaviour they accept in their makerspace
  • How to handle issues when they arise
  • Have this information to be accessible to all that enter the makerspace
  • Have a plan/project to make their space more inclusive

The workshop series will educate and empower Maker Space /Fab Lab participants to create more inclusive environments. By the end of the sessions, participants will have a practical and tailored code of conduct, an established awareness team and actionable strategies for promoting inclusivity within their spaces. The series on social and gender inclusivity is designed to educate, inspire and empower participants to contribute to a more inclusive Maker Space environment. Through collaborative efforts and practical applications, participants are encouraged to take ownership of fostering a culture of respect, equality and opportunity within their communities.

Accessing Funding: Project Design, Fundraising, Tendering & Pricing

This course provides learnings for makerspaces to raise more money by winning grants and contracts. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to improve project design for funding, fundraising, tendering and pricing projects.

The course reflects the fact that most makerspace managers write proposals and tenders routinely – though most have never had any bid writing training or support. The course therefore focuses on quality, ‘tips and tricks’ and increasing success rates – so not on the basics of accessing funding but rather on improving makerspaces’ performance in fundraising.

Business Models into Action

This course provides an introduction to Business Models for makerspaces covering key concepts, theories, and practical applications. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of business models within makerspaces to bring ideas and guidance to their own space. Makerspaces often struggle with financial sustainability; the webinars provide insight into how makers can tailor business models to bring in income and peer-learning discussion to see what works where. This course has been developed from one-to-one mentoring sessions held with makers and makerspaces, it is designed to be malleable – makers and makerspaces applying the discussions and resources when and where they need it.

 

This course is designed in conjunction with the Accessing Markets: Market Dialogues Course.

Accessing Markets: Market Dialogues

This course provides an introduction to Market Dialogues for makerspaces covering key concepts, theories, and practical applications. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to engage with local markets by sector and with relevant innovation and research eco-system entities – such as standards bodies, regulators, tax offices and policy makers. The course will help makerspaces to develop robust intelligence to guide market expansion efforts and engagement with national bodies. Students will learn about Environmental Analysis, Market Research, Market Communications, Stakeholder Mapping and Market Segmentation.

This course is designed in conjunction with the Business Models into Action course.

Common Policy Agenda: Building Policies and Strategies to Empower Makerspaces for Global Impact

This course covers the role of makerspaces in promoting sustainability, innovation, and global development goals (SDGs). You will learn how makerspaces contribute to local and global progress and how to advocate for policies that support them. The course also provides strategies for analyzing and implementing key policy recommendations, while exploring the challenges makerspaces face and proposing solutions for their future growth and scalability.

Duration:  5 weeks           Efforts: 25 hours      Pace:  5 hours/week  

Venture Building: Transform Local Insights into Scalable Startups

Grounded in practical methodologies and strategies from the handbook, this course ensures a hands-on learning experience and guides participants in bringing their business ideas to life by creating and scaling successful startups.

Duration:  7 weeks           Efforts: 35 hours      Pace:  5 hours/week