Fabacademy2023
Fabacademy 2023 & 2024¶
Applications for Fab Academy 2023 are closed. 2024 applications will open on September 1st. If you are interested in taking the course and would like to learn more, contact us at fablab@waag.org.
About¶
Learn how to make (almost) anything - in twenty weeks! That is at the core of Fab Academy, the yearly worldwide education trajectory for curious makers. Since the start of Fab Academy in 2008, Waag has been one of its nodes, which means our Fab Lab is one of the now tens of places throughout the world that host Fab Academy.
Fab Academy is based on the concept of distributed learning. Led by MIT’s Neil Gershenfeld, you will follow weekly classes (links to 2022 schedule!), simultaneously with all the other Fab Academy students in all Fab Labs throughout the world. Next to this, you will work on weekly assignments with your own group, which then will be reviewed during weekly review sessions with all the other students. In twenty weeks, you will also work towards your own final project, in which you can demonstrate and deepen your newly found digital fabrication skills and your creativity. At Waag’s Fab Lab, you will have access to all the tools and knowledge needed to be able to make (almost) anything.
My Experience & Projects from Studying at Fab Academy and Learning How to be a Maker by 2021 graduate Nadieh Bremer
A crash course in digital fabrication 2019 Elektor Magazine by 2020 graduate Tessel Renzenbrink
Fab Academy: for whom?¶
Fab Academy is meant for anyone who wants to learn all skills needed to work with digital production. To partake in the program, basic knowledge of computer use is required. Please note that if you have a low to medium proficiency in 2D and 3D modeling, digital fabrication, electronics programming and web design and development, the course should be considered a full-time dedication program. Fab Academy consists of a weekly 2-3 hrs class, an evaluation and a few hours of work per week in the Fab Lab. The Academy consists of partial certificates, that together with your final project lead up to your Fab Academy diploma.
How to partake?¶
Being able to travel to one of the partaking Fab Labs is a requirement for Fab Academy. Classes will be taught in English. To partake, fill in the application form on the Fab Academy website. At the end of the school year, all graduates organise an end presentation for their projects. If corona measures allow it, the final diplomas will be handed out to the graduates at the yearly FAB conference. Fab Academy 2023 starts in January 2023 and takes five months.
Deadline for application: 15 December 2022
Practical information¶
In order to attend Fab Academy, an (almost) fulltime dedication of your time is requested. Classes start January 16th 2023. The rounds of final presentations take place between mid-June and mid-July 2023. The graduation ceremony is part of FAB18, the annual Fab Lab Network conference, which will take place in August, 2023.
Every Wednesday, global lectures take place starting at 16:30 hrs (Amsterdam time) and taking 1.5 hours. Also, on selected Mondays, recitations will take place, starting at 15:00 hrs. The weekly regional and global reviews will be organised before the lectures on wednesday and start at 12:00 hrs. Next to weekly classes and reviews, you will spend multiple hours per day at Waag’s Fab Lab, where you’ll work on both weekly assignments and your final project.
Costs of Fab Academy¶
All information and documentation on Fab Academy 2023 and all previous years can be found on the Fab Academy website. For now, Waag is the only location in the Netherlands where Fab Academy can be attended. But, there are many locations in the whole world that also host Fab Academy!
Any questions?¶
Do you have any questions about joining Fab Academy? Check out their FAQ, or reach out to Waag’s Fab Lab lead Henk Buursen.