International experience:
FabLab Cuenca has been collaborating with the U.S. Embassy since 2016.
2019-2020 - we have organised and delivered the program STEAM TEACHER for teachers in region of Castilla la Mancha (CLM) stablising an international platform to share resources and key activities for the class.
Our program offers teachers and educators new models and methods to develop tools around digital fabrication that can catalyze STEM learning in the classroom. The idea is to offer students relevant, engaging, applied learning opportunities.
Based in collaboration and community, the project has the power to transform STEAM learning in diverse educational settings through digital fabrication technologies and practices found in a Fab Lab or makerspace. The main idea is to participate together in constructing the STEAM curriculum of the future.
During 2018 the U.S. Embassy partner with FabLab Cuenca to organize a program for Digital Literacy for Girls “Mujeres Makers”, at FabLab Cuenca. This initiative aims to inspire and educate girls with the necessary skills and resources to pursue opportunities in STEM fields, and advance scientific and technical vocations among girls. A programme base on inclusion and gender equality.
Also as part of the digital literacy and inclusion program within FabLab Cuenca, we organized a series of activities in local public libraries bringing international speakers through the U.S embassy. Some examples of that is the seminar with Renee Grassi, library director Dakota, Minnesota to share her experience knowledge about “Opening Access to Libraries for People with Disabilities and “Stronger Together: Successful Community Partnerships Serving Youth with Special Needs in American Public Libraries”
Our collaboration of the U.S. Embassy in Madrid gave us the opportunity to work on a speaker program focused on Arts and STEM with FabLab Foundation’s Program Manager Nettrice Gaskins.
We also work with EEUU embassy and Cuenca´s Public Library to organize and create the activities for the makerspaces event in library in 2017. Program TechCentral and makerspaces in public library’s network of Cleveland (Ohio) Speaker program David Linch.
In 2014 the working team of FabLab Cuenca was involved in the Burning man project to build “Temple of Grace” at Nevada desert, project directed by David Best in collaboration with the UK-based Artichoke Trust.
Burning Man Arts program was providing grant support to bring an ambitious community art project to Derry-Londonderry, Northern Ireland during the following year.
During 2015 our staff was involved in the organisation to build the project “Temple” with the local community collaborating with Fablab Nervecentre.
2020: FABxLive and FabCare, in collaboration with Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKS and the 3DEXPERIENCE Lab Call FAbLab Cuenca as Winner of Dassault Systemes FABxLIVE Innovation Challenge in the category: Impactful Community Effort, for our Maker Response to Covid-19: Willing to help during the fight against the virus we coordinate with the international network.
FabLab Cuenca was involved since the beginning on the response of the Spanish maker community against the COVID-19 pandemic. Being a part of the group “coronavirusmakers” as one of the main coordinators in Castilla la Mancha region, we were the main activators of Cuenca´s province.
Join Dale Dougherty, founder of Make: Magazine and Maker Faire, and Karim Asry, co-founder of Espacio Open and co-producer of Maker Faire Bilbao organised an online live session with the central activators, innovators, and organizers of the open source and maker response across Spain to produce supplies and meet the ongoing needs for medical and essential workers and the public, including Cuenca FabLab.
Plan C: The Maker Response To Covid-19 In Spain