Make Your School

What Make Your School does

Make Your School – Eure Ideenwerkstatt is a Berlin-based educational non-profit project of Wissenschaft im Dialog gGmbH that delivers free two-to-three-day "Hackday" events to German secondary schools. Founded in the 2016/17 school year as a five-school pilot, the program has reached more than 10,000 students across approximately 350 Hackdays and plans around 100 additional Hackdays per year (~35 participants each) for the coming period, with ~30% of participants girls/women. The core offering consists of structured Hackdays in which students build hardware/software prototypes addressing problems in their school environment, supported by a standardized Materialkoffer-Set containing Arduino and Calliope Mini microcontrollers, sensors, actuators, cabling and tools, complemented by Materialkarten guidance cards, a teacher handbook, and project inspiration resources (Tüftelideen, Tutorials, "Start Your Makerspace" guide). The annual Maker Festival (next edition scheduled for 19 September 2026 at Berliner Hochschule für Technik) showcases student hacks, and the [mys]reconnect network maintains alumni engagement post-Hackday.

Delivery is structured around a regional network-hub model introduced in 2020: roughly 20 partner organizations — universities, makerspaces, MINT associations and student research centers spanning Hamburg to Upper Bavaria — coordinate and run Hackdays locally. The program is entirely free to participating schools and is funded by foundation grants, primarily from the Klaus Tschira Stiftung (which extended support into a first three-year cycle starting 2024), with regional co-financing from Vector Stiftung (Baden-Württemberg) and Tommi-Stark-Stiftung (eastern Germany). Scientific accompaniment by TU Braunschweig provides empirical evaluation of student outcomes. Marketing is community- and content-driven through the makeyourschool.de website, blog, newsletter (Brevo), Instagram/YouTube/Facebook/X channels, Maker Faire appearances and the Maker Festival. The central team consists of approximately nine staff in Berlin, including project leadership (Anne Weißschädel, project lead) and project management (Laura Krauß).

Name

Make Your School

Legal name

Wissenschaft im Dialog gGmbH

Website

https://makeyourschool.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Make Your School is a Berlin-based non-profit (Wissenschaft im Dialog gGmbH) that delivers free multi-day Hackdays and standardized hardware kits to German secondary schools, reaching 10,000+ students via ~20 regional hub partners, funded by foundations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Education Programs

NAICS

Computer Training (611420)

akta.pro primary industry

Robotics, Engineering & Makers Camps (EDAMALAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Coding, Game Design & Computer Science Camps (EDAMALAD)

Keywords

• STEM education programs
• School hackathons
• Maker education
• Hands-on tinkering events
• Student innovation workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foundation Funding (Klaus Tschira Stiftung): Primary funding from the Klaus Tschira Stiftung (KTS), which has supported the project since its inception with multi-year grants. The current grant period (2024 onwards) is the first three-year funding cycle.
2. Regional Funder Contributions (Vector Stiftung, Tommi-Stark-Stiftung): Regional funders co-finance activities in specific geographic areas. Vector Stiftung funds Baden-Württemberg regional network; Tommi-Stark-Stiftung (TS Stiftung) funds eastern Germany operations.
3. In-Kind & Partner Contributions: Network hub partners (universities, makerspaces, associations) contribute in-kind resources, staff time, and local coordination, effectively subsidizing operational costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Make Your School organizes free 2–3 day Hackdays at German secondary schools where students build hardware/software prototypes that solve real problems in their school environment. The program ships standardized Materialkoffer hardware kits (Arduino, Calliope Mini, sensors, actuators, tools) to schools, supplies trained mentors via a nationwide network of regional hub partners, and provides teacher training and a structured Hackday handbook. An annual Maker Festival showcases student projects, and the [mys]reconnect alumni network sustains engagement after the Hackday.

Product overview

Make Your School – Eure Ideenwerkstatt is an educational project by Wissenschaft im Dialog gGmbH that brings making education to schools across Germany. The core offering consists of Hackdays (2-3 day hands-on tinkering events), supplemented by the Materialkoffer (comprehensive hardware kit with microcontrollers, sensors, and tools), the annual Maker Festival competition, and the [mys]reconnect alumni network. The program provides supporting resources including Tüftelideen (project ideas), Tutorials, and Start Your Makerspace guides. Regional Network Hubs (Netzwerk & Partner) coordinate activities across approximately 20 partner organizations from Hamburg to Bavaria. The project is funded primarily by the Klaus Tschira Stiftung and operates from Berlin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• [mys]reconnect: Alumni network for Make Your School participants, rebranded in 2024/2025 to continue activities after Hackdays participation.
• Maker Festival

Products and services

• Hackdays Two-to-three-day events held in an open workshop atmosphere at secondary schools, where students tinker, build prototypes, and develop solutions for real problems in their school environment. Targeted at German secondary schools (Gymnasium, Gesamtschule, Förderschule) and delivered free of charge through a network of regional hub partners and trained mentors.
• Materialkoffer Standardized hardware kit shipped to schools before Hackdays, containing Arduino and Calliope Mini microcontrollers, sensors, actuators, cabling, tools, and printed Materialkarten component guidance cards. Ships to participating schools as part of the free Hackday package.
• Maker Festival Annual festival and competition where Hackday participants showcase their prototypes, compete for prizes, and engage with the broader maker community. Open to students, families, teachers, and the general public with free admission; serves as a recruitment and community-building event.
• [mys]reconnect Alumni Network Alumni network for Hackday graduates providing continued making activities, project development, and community connections after the initial Hackday experience. Maintains long-term engagement with former participants.
• Netzwerk & Partner (Regional Network Hubs) Program operated through approximately 20 regional partner organizations (universities, makerspaces, MINT associations, student research centers) that coordinate and deliver Hackdays in their local areas from Hamburg to Bavaria. Partners receive training, materials, and program guidance from the central Berlin team.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 students reached across ~350 Hackdays since 2017, with ~30% female participants
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Zeiss-Großplanetarium BerlinminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Major event venue for the 2022 and 2024 Maker Festivals, accommodating large audiences and providing a distinctive setting for showcasing student projects.
• Regional Network Hub Partners (Germany-wide)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Approximately 20 partner organizations across Germany serve as regional coordinators (Netzwerk-Hubs). Includes universities, science centers, makerspaces, MINT associations, and student research centers from Hamburg to Upper Bavaria. They recruit schools, coordinate Hackdays, provide local mentors and facilities, and adapt the program to regional needs.
• Makerspace WiesbadenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Host venue for teacher training events. Provides facilities and inspiration for educators learning about makerspaces and Hackday formats.
• Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Host venue for the Maker Festival 2026. Provides the GLASBOX makerspace for festival activities.
• Technische Universität Braunschweig (TU Braunschweig) — Institute for Communications ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Academic research partner providing scientific accompaniment of the Make Your School Hackdays. Conducts pre/post student surveys, interviews teachers, and develops empirical models to measure program effectiveness and impact on students' technical self-concept and STEM attitudes.
• Maker Faire Hannover / BerlinminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Make Your School exhibited at Maker Faire Hannover 2018 and Maker Faire Berlin 2019, reaching large maker communities and recruiting mentors and school contacts.
• Creators CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Interdisciplinary innovation agency co-founded by Paul Weber and Michael Weber. Contributed to the initial Hackday concept development, designed the Materialkoffer-Sets, created the Hackday workflow (idea finding, planning, hacking phases), and developed awards for the Maker Festival. Founders participated as mentors at the very first Hackdays in 2017. A core strategic partner in the project's conceptual foundation.
• SYNTOP (Berlin)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Strategic design and concept partner based in Berlin. Collaborated with Wissenschaft im Dialog and Creators Collective during the development phase to refine the Make Your School concept, develop the teacher handbook, and design training materials.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• LEGO Education: LEGO Education is a global incumbent selling hands-on STEM/STEAM learning kits (including robotics and programmable tools) into schools worldwide. It overlaps with Make Your School's maker/microelectronics theme, but operates as a commercial hardware vendor with a broad portfolio across many countries and curricula, rather than running a comparable free, mentor-led Hackday program in Germany.

Others

• Jugend forscht: Jugend forscht is Germany's best-known national youth STEM competition, with regional and federal rounds. It is not a direct competitor but is part of the same ecosystem, and Make Your School alumni (e.g., Albert-Einstein-Gymnasium Neubrandenburg) have gone on to compete in Jugend forscht, making it an adjacent pipeline program.
• Wissensfabrik: Wissensfabrik is a German business-led initiative that supports STEM and entrepreneurship education in schools through partner programs and resources. It operates in an adjacent space to Make Your School, engaging the same school customer segment with complementary (rather than directly competing) programming and a different funder/partner base (corporate members).
• Code Week Germany: Code Week Germany is the German chapter of EU Code Week, a decentralized, grassroots event platform that promotes coding activities for young people across Europe. It serves as an ecosystem event and aggregator that Make Your School and other programs participate in, rather than a direct competitor, but it shares the same target audience of schools, students, and teachers.
• Calliope gGmbH: Calliope develops the Calliope Mini microcontroller used inside Make Your School's Materialkoffer and runs its own German school STEM programs. It is both a hardware supplier/partner of Make Your School and a parallel educator, with overlapping curriculum and audience but a different primary business (hardware + accompanying programs rather than Hackday events).

Direct peers

• App Camps: App Camps provides free, non-profit coding and app-development workshops to German secondary schools, often delivered as multi-day in-class sessions. It mirrors Make Your School's school-based delivery model, free-to-schools pricing, and target demographic, though with a narrower app-development focus rather than a broader maker/electronics curriculum.
• TüftelAkademie: TüftelAkademie is a Berlin-based maker and digital education initiative offering workshops, camps, and learning formats for children and youth. It shares Make Your School's maker/DIY focus, microelectronics kits, and emphasis on creative problem-solving, serving a similar youth audience in Germany.
• Jugend hackt: Jugend hackt is a program of Open Knowledge Foundation Deutschland and the Bundesregierung's federal IT cooperation, running hackathons and coding events for young people aged 12–18 in Germany. It overlaps directly with Make Your School's Hackday format, target age group, and mission of building technical self-efficacy among German youth.
• Roberta Initiative (Fraunhofer IAIS): The Roberta Initiative, run by Fraunhofer IAIS, provides robotics and STEM education courses for German schools using LEGO Mindstorms and similar kits, and trains teachers across Germany. Like Make Your School, it targets school-aged students with hands-on technology learning and operates through a network of regional partners, making it a closely comparable peer.
• Hacker School: Hacker School is a Hamburg-based non-profit that runs free multi-day coding workshops for school students across Germany, often in cooperation with schools and universities. It is the closest direct peer to Make Your School in terms of mission (targeting German secondary school students with hands-on technology), delivery model (workshop-based, free, foundation-funded), and target audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MakeYourSchool
• GitHubgithub.com/MakeYourSchool
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/MakeYourSchool
• Facebookfacebook.com/makeyourschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/makeyourschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/make-your-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Make Your School