Sunita's makerspace – All you need is space
Maker’s Day is a day when we celebrate your skills every year on 12 October, on the birth anniversary of Late Trustee Mrs Sunita Gajera, who dreamed of provided a launchpad for young creators and makers so that they can express themselves. Like the previous years, a particular theme is chosen within which makers create their works of art, innovation and creativity. This year the theme was Make My Space. It was chosen because we wanted to give learners a free reign to their imagination. They were not confined to any genre or boundary.
This year, the first round of the competition was held online which was followed by the in-person round in which forty five finalists out of more than two thousand entries battled against one another for the coveted trophy. More than three thousand registrations were received from all over the country. Makers uploaded videos of themselves producing their best work which were later put to test under the sharp eyes of judges. True to its theme, the competition was open to all age groups. Children as young as 5 and makers as old as 50 and more could participate in different categories. A total prize money of Rs285,000/- was given away at the awards ceremony held at Gajera Global School on 8 October 2022. Every project saw proactive participation from parents, teachers, and students alike. Several distinguished visitors and judges shared their knowledge and insight in order to further develop these sharp, youthful minds.
The mega event was organised by Sunita’s Makerspace, a platform that honours the need for learning while empowering young minds with passion-centered pedagogy. It’s no easy task to change the way education is imparted now. The founder and director of Sunita’s Makerspace, Kinjal Chunibhai Gajera, saw this as a challenge and founded the organisation in 2015 (originally at Vatsalyadham). It has effectively continued to give guidance and a stage on which kids can experiment, discover, and put their ideas into practise. The Trust’s pedagogy’s unique peer-to-peer learning atmosphere fosters collaboration and social skills while fostering creativity and innovation.
Present on the occasion were Dr. K. N. Chavda, Vice Chancellor, VNSGU; Dr. Dakshesh Thakar, Vice Chancellor, Vanita Vishram University; Mr Ashok Kanungo, Hon. Secretary, Traffic Education Trust Surat, and Chairman of Lions Cancer Detection Centre Trust, New Civil Hospital Surat; Mr Ritesh Saraf, Investor/Industrialist /Mentor and a Management Consultant and Mr. A D Dhobi, Divisional Officer, Fire Brigade, Rander.
Judges who adjudicated on the competition were Dr. Tushar Narendrabhai Desai, Professor, the Department of Mechanical Engineering, SVNIT, Surat; Dr. Chetankumar Ramanlal Patel, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, SVNIT, Surat; Mr. Mehul Patel, Professor & HOD, the Department of Fine Arts, VNSGU, Surat; Mr. Ankit Changawla, Department of Interior Design, VNSGU, Surat; Ms. Kruti Patel, Professor, Department of Fine Arts, VNSGU, Surat and Ms. Payal Joshi, Celebrity Choreographer, Director of Laasya Kalavrnud.
Gajera Trust supports 18,000 students in their pursuit of a holistic education with the goal of putting each kid on the path to a better future. This was made feasible by offering makers from all backgrounds equal opportunity for creativity and education through Maker’s Day. Maker’s Day 2022 was a huge success and will serve as an example for future projects at Gajera Trust and Sunita’s Makerspace.