At BSH, we are deeply connected with the future. Through modern technology trends and innovations, we are constantly seeking to improve quality of life at home for our consumers. But we know this is not enough. True power to shape the future lies in the hand of today’s youth, in this case: The protagonists of our Turkish project Makers of Tomorrow.

BSH is the largest home appliance manufacturer in Europe with high commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which includes the key objective of “acting prudently and responsibly for the benefit of society and the environment.” In line with the UN’s 2030 Quality Education, Decent Work, and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure and Reduced Inequalities goals, BSH Turkey started “Makers of Tomorrow (MoT),” one of the most extensive digital literacy and coding skills development programs in the region, in 2017.

“I joined this program because the jobs of the future are going to be about coding" Nevşehir / Elif Naz / 11 years old

The program aims to equip future generations with the skills and knowledge they need in our rapidly changing world. Computational literacy is an excellent tool for youth to improve problem-solving skills, bridge the knowledge gap between advantaged and disadvantaged communities, and create fair employment opportunities for the future generations. Thus, Makers of Tomorrow (MoT) trains children, especially girls, aged 8-18 in coding, electronics, robotics, application design & development.

The Makers of Tomorrow getting down to business

How the Makers Lab Works

In December 2017, the project started by building the Makers Lab within the BSH Çerkezköy Campus, making it the first of its kind to be built in a Turkish factory. This creative educational space was equipped with high-speed internet, 3D printers, Arduinos, m-bots, laptops, and many other high-tech tools.

After that, the MoT team focused on establishing partnerships with authorities in education. The goal to invite public school students and their teachers to the Lab every week, thus integrating the project into schools’ curriculums. Thanks to these partnerships, around 1,000 primary- and secondary school students and educators can participate in these classes every year.

With this structure, MoT aims to provide transferable skills for everyday situations with a long-term curriculum, multidisciplinary approach and high-level teachers: BSH’s own engineers, as well as Kodluyoruz trainers, also provide guidance. Thus, the children work with real experts on coding challenges and new technologies. For instance, a group of MoT students designed a fridge for people with visual impairment.

With this structure, MoT aims to provide transferable skills for everyday situations with a long-term curriculum, multidisciplinary approach and high-level teachers: BSH’s own engineers, as well as Kodluyoruz trainers, also provide guidance. Thus, the children work with real experts on coding challenges and new technologies. For instance, a group of MoT students designed a fridge for people with visual impairment.

MoT students working with support from their tutor

“I learned about algorithms, learned to light LEDs on Arduino, and learned to set up games in various programs" Tekirdağ / Beyza / 16 years old

The program aims to equip future generations with practical knowledge and skills by giving them the right environment and the opportunity to develop their creative potential. Because digital literacy can be an excellent tool for young people to develop their problem-solving skills, it helps these students bridge the existing opportunity gap towards a brighter future.

Maker of Tomorrow working on his project

The Youth’s success is our success

In only four years, MoT trained around 3,000 students and 112 teachers from 18 schools in Tekirdağ, where the factory is located. As our Çerkezköy campus is responsible for the majority of the employment in the region, we constantly invest in the empowerment of the local population. Therefore, the MoT initiative was born with the primary goal of training local employees’ children, who will have the power of shaping BSH’s future in 10-15 years.

More recently, the project expanded its reach: As of March 2021, MoT’s online education platform had over 100,000 views and 15,000 active users. Thanks to its sister-school partnerships, the program actively supported 555 more students from 25 cities in Turkey - mostly from disadvantaged regions.

Among all success stories, one is specially worth mentioning: The MoT initiative sponsored a group of vocational school students that were trained in the Lab to apply for FRC, the world's most prestigious robotics tournament. The team won the best achievement award given for Rookie teams at the 2020 competition and qualified to go to the USA for the championship. This international success, in itself, shows how much overlooked groups of youth can achieve when given the right opportunities.

The winner rookie team

“I recommend Makers Lab to everyone, because I think it contributed a lot to me. I think they will also have fun and learn a lot." Tekirdağ / İlayda / 16 years old