MakerGhat

FUTURE-READY LEARNING
GRASSROOTS INNOVATION
HANDS-ON IMPACT

MakerGhat

FUTURE-READY LEARNING
GRASSROOTS INNOVATION
HANDS-ON IMPACT

Overview

MakerGhat is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a grassroots movement in making and entrepreneurship across India. Their programs cultivate agency and confidence among youth through tinkering and hands-on learning. Supported by a team of researchers from Stanford University, Georgia Tech, Emory University and knowledge partnerships across India, MakerGhat implements curriculums, teacher training, and assessment rubrics to promote skill-building and innovation.

Program focus

The program equips students with critical problem-solving and entrepreneurship skills. Through hands-on learning and project-based approaches, students identify and research problems in their communities, develop creative and sustainable solutions, and explore career pathways in STEM and entrepreneurship. The program’s structured approach includes:

Safe Physical Space: Providing tools and materials for projects, along with infrastructure support for maker spaces.
Curriculum Development: Contextualized and translated teacher guides, student worksheets, and research-backed modules.
Ecosystem Support: Training for teachers and administrators to build a culture of making and student-led learning.
Monitoring & Evaluation: Data-driven assessment through surveys, classroom observations, and interviews.
Year 1 (2022-2023) : Supported the Entrepreneurship Mindset Development Program (EMDP) in Andhra Pradesh, covering 1,187 schools, 62,607 students, and 1,975 teachers.
Year 2 (2023-2024) : Expanded to Tamil Nadu (40 model residential schools, ~4,000 students) and Odisha (255 schools, ~12,000 students), leading to increased student engagement and enhanced critical thinking.
Year 3 (2024-2025) : Reached 250 schools in Bargarh, 100 schools in Balasore, and 100 schools in Khordha, Odisha, impacting 27,000 students and 450 teachers.
Year 4 (2025–ongoing) Maker Ghat launched a program in partnership with the Nashik Zilla Parishad government to reach 3,200 schools and empower 9,600 teachers with extensive training in experiential learning. In addition to teacher-training, central to this initiative are 13 makerspaces that Maker Ghat will set up that would allow for broad reach at an affordable cost for hands-on learning using a hub model. The Maker Gaon Fellowship Program (Cohort 01) was launched to ensure the effective functioning and deep community integration of these Makerspaces in Nashik.

Engagement with Bansuri

Since 2022, Bansuri Foundation’s partnership has enabled MakerGhat to expand its reach.
The program has encouraged a positive shift in student mindset, improving resilience, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Through mentorship, students have become more critically engaged, demonstrating stronger self-awareness and independent decision-making.

Outcomes

A Collaborative Approach to Impact

MakerGhat credits Bansuri’s support for more than just financial backing, emphasizing its role as a thought partner in strengthening the program’s foundation. The structured yet flexible approach to reporting has allowed MakerGhat to reflect meaningfully on its progress, while strategic discussions with Bansuri’s team have helped refine the Theory of Change and long-term impact goals. Open dialogues have facilitated improvements in program design, creating opportunities for expansion and deeper engagement with students and educators. This synergy has been instrumental in ensuring the sustainability and effectiveness of the initiative.