Community Makers Space aims to promote and strengthen the informal, and experiential learning through technology by bridging the digital divide in India
Bangalore, India, June 21, 2019 : As part of its global efforts to support innovation around the world to enable human progress, Dell Technologies in partnership with Learning Links Foundation today announced the launch of Community Makers Space across three locations (Bangalore, Pune and New Delhi) in India.
The Community Makers Spaces (CMS) have been inspired by the Atal Tinkering Laboratories set up in schools by Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, and Government of India. The Community Makers Space will cultivate a collaborative, learning-centred environment where members belonging to different parts of the community can work with each other leveraging their shared knowledge and creativity with the resources provided.
The objective of establishing Community Makers Space is to promote and strengthen the joy of informal, experiential learning through technology and bridge the digital divide among communities. These spaces aim to inspire and encourage community participation, promote the horizontal exchange of knowledge and provide community members with easy access to resources to learn.
To ensure maximum accessibility, the location of the CMS has been chosen in consultation with local wards and authorities. As mobilization is key to make the initiative meet its objective of collaboration among different members of the community, awareness campaigns and drives are to be launched soon. The CMS will be open to those who aim to leverage on their passion to develop solutions to community issues and engage in self-learning activities that focus on problem solving and innovation.
Dell believes that technology can play a vital role in breaking the cycle of poverty and inequality in underserved communities. The company’s Workforce 2030 vision is focused on providing vocational training to thousands of youth who lack access to quality education, technology and tools to learn. Partnering with innovative nonprofit organizations, Dell places state-of-the-art technology into the hands of underserved youth and prepare them for the future workforce.
Alok Ohrie, President & MD, Dell Technologies, India said, “Dell believes access to innovation isn’t a luxury, but a need. We have always thought of innovation as the driver for human progress. At Dell, we are passionate about making a difference to the world through a technology-led approach balancing social inclusion, innovation and entrepreneurship. We have to put our energies and resources in today’s youth to prepare them for a better-computerized future. We are excited to launch the Community Makers Space, equipped with Dell’s technology to provide everyone to develop solutions to solve community issues and foster a culture of innovation at a grass root level. We look forward to a journey creating more innovators and entrepreneurs powering the New India.”
R Ramanan, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog said, “The Community Makers Space initiatives modeled around Atal Tinkering Lab initiative , will funnel the needed scientific bent of mind of not only the school students but more importantly members from the community whose potential remained vastly undermined and untapped primarily due to lack of adequate resources. We believe this space will ignite tinkering abilities both in youngsters and adults thus leading to world-class innovative capabilities and relevant community needed innovations.”
Nuriya Ansari, Managing Partner, Learning Links Foundation said, “LLF believes that there is an innovator in all of us and the world needs more dreamers, doers and Innovators. We are on a mission to provide platforms that bring schools and communities together to create new aspirations and new ideas. Community Makers Space is one such initiative.”
