Orange Foundation / 2017
Breakers
Digital Fabrication education for teens in collaboration with Orange Foundation
Breakers was part of the global initiative FabLabs Solidaires launched by the Orange Foundation on an international level that offers young people the opportunity to reinvent themselves by acquiring new skills related to new technologies and digital tools. This initiative focuses on young people with no professional qualifications or diverse difficulties who can participate in training projects that take place in different spaces around the world and develop new talents.
Overview
Breakers was part of FabLabs Solidaires, an international initiative launched by the Orange Foundation to help young people facing barriers to employment or lacking professional qualifications develop new skills through technology and digital fabrication.
Between 2016 and 2018, SokoTech hosted three workshop editions per year, providing participants with hands-on learning experiences that encouraged creativity, problem-solving, and the discovery of new talents.
My role in the project
I served as the lead mentor at SokoTech, designing the learning structure and guiding participants throughout the workshops. My role combined educational planning, technical instruction, and project mentoring, introducing participants to digital fabrication tools and methods.
The Challenge
The challenge was to make digital fabrication accessible to participants with diverse backgrounds and learning needs, helping them move beyond simply operating tools to understanding how technology could be used to address real-world problems. The workshops needed to balance foundational technical skills with creative exploration and practical application.
The Structure
I developed a hands-on learning framework that guided participants through the complete process of turning an idea into a physical prototype. Starting with concept development and identifying opportunities to solve problems through digital fabrication, participants learned to prepare designs and manufacture their projects.
Exploring design thinking methods
Understanding and preparing the design
Learning about digital fabrication technologies
Building the prototypes
The Outcome
The workshops introduced technologies including 3D printing, laser cutting, vinyl cutting, 3D scanning, and Arduino. This approach combined technical learning with creative problem-solving, giving the participants basic tools to build practical skills, explore their potential, and develop confidence in using technology. This are some of the projects outcomes:
