HERALD: What do you secialise in?
MAXWELL SABY RODRIGUES: Our mission is to introduce next generation creative, innovative and tech-powered educational programs using science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) collaborative learning techniques in order to make learning fun and to create a hunger for science and related subjects.
We use innovative, futuristic and industry ready technologies namely, 3D printing, robotics and aeromodelling (Balsa wood gliders, Flying drone, etc) to impart STEM education for promotion of science and technology in schools and engineering colleges.
HERALD: How does your company help in imparting education, especially for Goan schools and colleges?
MSR: In the United States and some European countries the race to outrun the common education standards has begun, but with a new set of requirements for teaching science. Some developed Asian countries such as Japan, Singapore and Malaysia are also voluntarily adopting such practices, which emphasize more on learning science with hands-on experimentation.
I served as director, Max Aero Sports Sdn Bhd in Malaysia which was at the forefront in implementation of such teaching aids. To take it to a whole new level we started a very unique approach of setting up our own STEM learning laboratories in schools. We supplementing our laboratories with an educational curriculum developed by educationist and industry experts. This curriculum was implemented in the form of annual semester after school activity and workshops in schools.
We plan to implement the same in Goan schools which would immensely help our kids. We have closed a deal and are in a process of setting up a laboratory with one top school in the new school campus area at Cujira, near Goa Medical College, Bambolim.
HERALD: Who are your prospective customers and how do you plan to reach them?
MSR: Our prospective customers would be CBSE schools, International and private schools for the STEM learning laboratory setup and annual weekly programs. When contacted we conduct a free 45 minute audio-visual demo at school premises for the students and management. We also give talks to PTAs in regard to the benefits of technology being used in teaching. Once the students show interest and school is ready to implement our idea we go ahead to set up STEM laboratories in schools at our own expense. The school pays for nothing but only gives us space to setup our Lab. Thereafter the program runs every week annually for a nominal fee per student.
HERALD: Could you give an example of what students learn at the STEM Lab?
MSR: One of our STEM program starts by capturing the imagination of kids using CAD softwares and open sources like SKETCHUP, TINKERCAD, etc. Students are trained to bring the object of their imagination in a computer design. Thereafter this design is transferred to the 3D printing slicing software, like CURA, BLENDER etc. The 3D printer then takes the design and starts printing the object layer by layer. Students are then introduced to ARDUINO electronic control boards and taught basic electronics and programming in basic C and also SCRATCH a program designed byMassachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab. The students connect this programmed ARDUINO boards to their 3D printed objects giving it life which can be a four legged walking robot or a flying drone or anything the child imagines.
HERALD: Do you have in-house programs apart from what you conduct in schools/colleges?
MSR: Yes we do conduct weekend programs at our centre in CIBA, Assagao from time to time. We conduct holiday camps in schools and internship programs for engineering students. Details can be obtained from our website www.creativemakerz.com.
HERALD: What made you become an entrepreneur in Goa?
MSR: Well, I was born and brought up in a very traditional Goan riverside village. Even though I left Goa in 2000 for my studies and thereafter for work my heart and soul stayed back. I always longed to return and do something worthwhile for my State.
When I started my training company in Malaysia and saw the difference it was making in the lives of school students I always wanted to bring it to India. I had various opportunities to set up in Chennai, but the urge to return to my home State and contribute to the development of education in Goa won the race.
HERALD: What issues did you have to face when you thought of launching this company in Goa?
MSR: The biggest hurdle I faced was that CBSE board has not penetrated much in Goa. Our State boards are very much grade oriented and less of after school activities. In other metropolitan cities like Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai STEM education is understood by every school and they readily want to implement.
Lot of people do robotics for schools in Goa. STEM is a concept and robotics is just one tool in implementing that concept. We need to have a holistic solution.
In such a scenario I thought I had an uphill task of making managements of schools and colleges understand the need to look beyond the conventional learning methods and just robotics.
But thanks to CIBA who gave me a very strong platform to showcase my idea through Kaun Banega Udyogpati (KBU), incubated my idea and provided space to set up a demo STEM Learning Lab and all necessary support in conducting workshops for schools and engineering colleges. School authorities’ suddenly started to drop in at CIBA to have a look at our STEM Lab. In some schools we are already in the process of setting up the labs.
HERALD: Where do you see yourself and your company in next five years?
MSR: In the next five years we would strive to be a house hold name in India when it comes to STEM after school education. We encourage entrepreneurs to take education as a business opportunity to create suitable employment for Goans by providing a platform for employment generation through our educational program franchising model.
