ABOUT THE MAKEHER SPACE:

The MakeHer Spaces project will teach selected girls to create technology and engineering-based solutions that solve problems in their communities, provide information about career options and exposes them to women working successfully in STEAM.

BENEFICIARIES:

Young women mostly from lower-income households living in the communities where the MakeHer Spaces are, who are 10 to 17 years (in school ) and 18 to 25 years (out of school).

PROJECT OBJECTIVES:

• Teach the students to create technology and engineering-based solutions that solve problems in their communities.
• Help the young women hone their abilities to work in teams, as they will work in teams on technology and engineering-centered projects
• Help the young women develop marketable and practical skills in and an appreciation of technology, art design, engineering, maths and critical thinking.
• Connect the girls with and prepare them for further education and career opportunities in STEAM and/or entrepreneurship.

OUTLINE OF ACTIVITIES

a.) For Out-of-School Girls:

• Electronics & Digital Circuit Technologies: Girls will understand how circuits work and how to design and build devices and programme them to carry out certain functions. They will use locally-available materials and potential waste such as old boxes, cans, straws, tape, bottles, plastics and scrap wire to develop technology-based solutions to problems they have identified in their communities.
• Problem & Market Research: Girls will gather information about the problem they intend to solve with their solution and find out if people will pay for their solution. They will do this with a combination of online research, surveys, interviews and observation techniques.
• Presentations: Girls will prepare presentations of their solutions to community members, representatives of potential customers using PowerPoint or Google Slides. They will learn presentation and public speaking skills from this.

b.) For In-School Girls:

• Mechatronics: Girls will build robots from locally-available materials and potential waste such as old boxes, cans, straws, tape, bottles, plastics and scrap wire. The robots will be built and programmed to provide solutions to problems they have identified in their communities. In the process, they will understand how circuits work and how to design and build circuits.
• Problem & Market Research: Girls will gather information about the problem they intend to solve with their solution and find out if people will pay for their solution. They will do this with a combination of online research, surveys, interviews and observation techniques.
• Presentations: Girls will prepare presentations of their solutions to community members, representatives of potential customers using Google Slides. They will learn presentation and public speaking skills from this. Internet is required for some parts of these activities.

FACILITATORS: Young women and men recruited from the local communities, with an interest in technology and who will be trained by W.TEC.

WORKSHOP STRUCTURE:

a.) Out-of-School Cohort: Two cohorts running simultaneously, which will meet 2 times a week for 1 month (Monday & Wednesday OR Tuesday & Thursday). Each session will last 2 hours.

b.) In-School Cohort: Each cohort will meet once a week for 1 month (Saturday). Each session will last 4 hours.