Open workshops, makerspaces and fablabs provide free access to tools, knowledge, resources and equipment for free manufacturing of personal ideas. Open workshops represent the principles of initiative and self-efficacy. They offer creative teaching environments for digital fabrication, enabling anyone to make their own products and learn about the sustainable use of resources. The aim of the «Explore» project is lowering barriers to entry for young people to the learning environments of open workshops and to further qualify and expand the youth programmes they offer.
In a one-and-a-half year pilot phase, seven open workshops successfully developed formats and methods to expand their programmes for young people. The findings are now being used to permanently consolidate the services for young people in three model workshops in rural Brandenburg. The project will be run together with the social enterprise «Projektfabrik».