Makerspaces as Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Learning Environments: The DOIT Learning Program

Abstract

Abstract Developing social innovation and entrepreneurship competences and skills of children and young people is on the agenda of European educational policy-makers. The European research and innovation project “DOIT – Entrepreneurial skills for young social innovators in an open digital world” suggests using makerspaces and tools, within schools and externally, to promote practice-based social innovation and entrepreneurial learning of children and young people. This article first gives an overview of different types of maker-spaces, addresses the concept of maker education, and highlights common development goals of such education with entrepreneurship education regarding particular attitudes and competences. The main part then describes the DOIT learning program that allows children and young people (6–16 years) to acquire skills and an entrepreneurial mind-set for turning creative ideas into potential social innovations. This program is currently trialed in DOIT pilots in different types of makerspaces in ten European countries. The article describes learning processes and outcomes that are promoted by the program with two examples that are different regarding the makerspaces, topics and other aspects. Some first experiences and lessons learned from these and other pilots are summarized.