Archive

Mymachine Project

Small dreams, Big ideas

VISIT
FEBRUARY 5TH AND 6TH, 2024
ESAD.CR

As part of the Mymachine project, primary school students from Óbidos visited ESAD.CR to approve the technical drawings that will guide the construction of the machines they have designed. This visit follows the one made last November by Industrial Design students Luisa Fernandes, Diogo Nobre, João Santiago and Pedro Calado, who visited the Furadouro School Complex, the Arcos School Complex and the Alvito School Complex. On that occasion, the first grade children drew pictures of their dream machine, drawings that guided the work that has since been done and which will now be presented. “MyMachine is an educational programme that emerged in Kortrijk (Belgium) with the aim of working on creativity and innovation in education, empowering students with the skills to intervene in their context, think about the territory, identify problems or needs and then give them the tools to solve that challenge. Recognised worldwide by institutions such as the United Nations and the Hundred Foundation, the MyMachine Global Foundation is committed to promoting a greater number of regions in the world where the project is developed, with partners who bring added value to the programme’s principles and who respect the three-stage methodology. The programme is currently being developed in Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Norway, Croatia, Kosovo, Mexico, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
On November 21st, students of the Industrial Design Undergraduate Programme Luisa Fernandes, Diogo Nobre, João Santiago e Pedro Calado were at Complexo Escolar do Furadouro within the scope of the MyMachine project, putting an end to the visitation cycle that started at Complexo Escolar dos Arcos and Complexo Escolar do Alvito.
The first graders of this school in Óbidos drew on an A4 paper sheet the machine of their dreams. On their turn, ESAD.CR students collaborated on the presentation and selection process, already anticipating the construction phase of the chosen machine. 
The works are already in progress and soon we will welcome these children at our campus.

“MyMachine is an educational programme that appeared in Kortrijk (Belgium), aiming to work on the creativity and innovation in education, giving students skills to intervene in the context they’re in, to think the territory, identify problems or needs and after, giving them tools to solve said challenge.
Globally acknowledged by institutions such as United Nations or the Hundred Foundation, MyMachine Global Foundation has made the commitment to promote a broader scope of world regions where the project is developed, with partners who add value to the programme principles, and that respect the three steps methodology. Currently, the programme is being developed in Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Norway, Croatia, Kosovo, Mexico, South Africa and USA.  
1st step (idea) – Kindergarten/Primary school – Children/primary school students draw their “dream machine”. The main criteria is that the machine is somehow relevant to the child or class.
2nd step (design) – University education – At this point, the university students translate the child’s drawing, to a blueprint, offering several solutions to the construction of the machine. This step is developed in permanent dialogue with children who must follow the process and approve the best solution.
3rd step (construction) – Vocational/Professional education/Other organizations – On this last step, the blueprints are handed to the vocational/professional education schools or other organizations with specialized resources according to the machine’s characteristics.