Connecting and Enabling Young People With and Without Disabilities to Develop Social Entrepreneurial Ideas
Big tech companies also have the responsibility to support and strengthen the ones that might not have the easiest start, due to their handicaps and disabilities. What we sometimes forget or overlook is that in every weakness lies a potential superpower — at least, that’s how the non-profit social initiative Pfennigparade defines the philosophy behind its work.
We already started our collaboration with YourCapabilities shortly before last Christmas, by hosting a Solid Edge CAD workshop with Ernst Barlach School in München, which is also funded and operated by Stiftung Pfennigparade. Eight students had the opportunity to live out their creativity and enthusiasm for technology at the UnternehmerTUM MakerSpace GmbH in the Munich Urban Colab.
After asking the students what they would associate with Siemens, introducing them to the digital twin concept and giving them a general overview about Siemens and Solid Edge customers & portfolio, the students had the chance to test out the tool themselves. Using Solid Edge – which is available to students free of charge – they designed their own keychains and, in keeping with the season, cookie cutters.
While their designs were then printed out on the 3D printer, the students had the opportunity to get to know the Maker Space of the Munich Urban Colab in more detail during a tour led by Michael Lorentschk. “Practical and career-relevant workshop content, such as CAD is ideal for familiarizing participants with the tools of the working world and possible careers”, says Lorentschk. “If at the end everyone proudly holds their own 3D printed object in their hands, that is the best confirmation for me and my team.”
As the students embraced this learning experience a lot, another workshop was organized took place with the same group of students on March 21st, this year. This time the task was to design a bird house and assemble the different parts in Solid Edge. In the end, all seven prototypes were manufactured on a laser cutter in the UnternehmerTUM Maker Space.
Veronika Moj adds: “In our inclusive start-up program Entrepreneurship Inklusiv from Your Capabilities, young people with and without disabilities learn how to build their own company based on their strengths. I am delighted that we were able to pilot an inclusive laser cutting workshop together with the students in cooperation with the Munich Urban Colab, the UnternehmerTUM Maker Space and Siemens – an ideal format for developing initial prototypes of your own business ideas. I am already looking forward to the upcoming workshops!” 🚀
“The workshops were really fun! It was great to learn something new and try out the software for 3D printing. We never thought that we would be able to develop our own products so quickly!” 🚀😊 (Student, Ernst-Barlach-Schule)
This activity was supported by #SiemensMovesSchools and the Siemens Maker Space Garching.
