Maker Education Lab

The Maker Education Lab focuses on contemporary and new forms of learning. One of Waag’s core thoughts is that technology is not something that happens to us: as humans, we make it ourselves. This means we shouldn’t just consume technology - we should be (involved in) designing it. In the digital age, this means next to creativity and imagination new skills are needed. Waag focuses on these skills, and on awareness and critical analysis, by working with technologies with a hands-on approach. The Maker Education Lab researches ways in which a maker mindset and 21st century skills can help people to (better) find their place in society. Room for experiment and creativity are important, and there is no good or bad.

We shouldn’t just consume technology - we should be (involved in) designing it. Maker education enables people to learn by doing, and to develop critical attitudes towards technology.

These principles are at the core of maker education, or learning by making. Maker education enables people to learn by doing, and to develop critical attitudes towards technology. They explore, test and try out, all while learning to express their creativity. To Waag, it’s important to offer maker education to children, in as well as outside of school.

In Waag’s vision on education, knowledge and critical analysis are equally important to societal and social skills. Next to this, education is the most important way of promoting equality in society. We do this, for example, by teaching the children of Amsterdam’s lesser fortunate neighbourhoods the skills of digital fabrication and entrepreneurship.