2024 marked a significant milestone for us as we proudly celebrated our fourth year in the nonprofit sector. What began as a passionate weekend initiative by our founders has blossomed into a fully functional organization committed to empowering creativity, learning, and innovation. This year, our focus was on strengthening our foundation, building meaningful partnerships, and expanding the scope of our impact.
We kicked off the year with our first-ever offsite meeting in Delhi to not only set the tone for the year but also lead a memorable collaboration with the incredible team at the Amba Foundation. Together, we conducted a hands-on workshop that encouraged young learners to create projectors from waste materials.
Unstructured Studio
Throughout the year, we organized 12 workshops, both virtual and in-person, in collaboration with various nonprofit partners. These workshops spanned diverse topics and formats, providing children and educators with engaging learning experiences. A particular highlight was our second workshop in Nigeria, led by our exceptional volunteer, Ndidi Folasade Ogboi, who brought our STEAM-based activities to life for a new audience.
Unstructured Studio
Unstructured Studio
One of the year’s key achievements was our selection by Team4Tech as part of their micro-matching pilot project. This initiative paired selected nonprofits with skilled volunteers to co-create impactful projects. We had the privilege of working with Alex from Canada and Kani from India to design two STEAM-based, low-cost activities that have now been added to our Kriti Activities repository. Additionally, our in-house team developed another unique activity, expanding our repository to include three new, innovative options for educators and learners alike.
We also launched an exciting initiative this year: the Creative Speaker Series. This quarterly series features conversations with inspiring individuals in the realm of creative education, offering fresh perspectives and ideas. In 2024, we had the honor of hosting:
- Nikita Gandhi, a natural pigment maker and artist
- Nikitaa Sivakumar, the visionary founder of Wonder Yonder, an initiative simplifying STEM concepts through visuals
- Suraj Kori, an engineering student and founder of CaressTech, an organization promoting accessible technology
- Nidhi Pal, a passionate nature and science educator
Our team also conducted a study earlier this year to explore how low-cost tools, activities, and resources can support creative learning for children in rural India. Using a structured creativity assessment framework, the study engaged 30 students from grades 4 to 8 who participated in a year-long program with our studio, and the findings showed a notable increase in students’ confidence, idea generation, peer collaboration, and critical thinking skills.
Some students previously had basic ideas for creative art and craft projects, but with the skills and experience gained through the program, they are now empowered to take their ideas to the next level.
Students who were once hesitant to take risks, make mistakes, and share their thoughts now do so with much greater confidence.
2024 has been a year of growth, learning, and impact. As we reflect on our journey, we are filled with gratitude for our partners, volunteers, and supporters who have believed in our vision. With each passing year, our commitment to empowering learners through creativity and collaboration only grows stronger. Here’s to more innovation and impact in the years to come!