Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to join Dr. Adam Maltese from Indiana University’s School of Education in leading the first Western Balkans Design Sprint. This groundbreaking three-day training session for 18 educators from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, and North Macedonia focused on building teacher confidence to lead STEM and maker-based programming, particularly for girls.
Funded by Indiana University’s Pathways to Peace initiative, the gathering in Zagreb allowed participants to explore the engineering design process through activities in 3D printing, digital design, and micro:bit coding while focusing on the importance of creativity, iteration, and collaboration.
Learning Through Making
For many participants, the Design Sprint was an opportunity to rediscover the joy and power of learning by doing. Teachers who had never used a 3D printer or coding tool before were soon designing and testing original prototypes to solve real-world problems.
One teacher reflected: “I’m no longer afraid to try new things or make mistakes in front of my students. I’ve learned to see mistakes as part of improving the design.”
Another described the engineering design process as “not just a technical tool but a mindset–one that helps students ask better questions, plan, test, and understand the ‘why’ behind what they’re building.”
For others, the experience breathed new life into classroom tools already at their fingertips. “I had a 3D printer still in its box,” shared one participant. “Now I know how to use it with my students, and seeing them play with what we made was so motivating.”
Annalise Phillips
From Teacher Confidence to Student Leadership
The Design Sprint focused not only on skill-building, but also on helping educators see themselves as catalysts for girls’ empowerment. Participants explored how engineering and making can help all students, but especially girls, develop confidence, creativity, and agency by linking STEM learning to real challenges in their communities.
As one teacher from Albania shared: “The biggest challenge is helping girls believe their ideas matter, and showing them that they can make a difference in their community.”
A Foundation for Lasting Impact
Reflecting on the event, Dr. Maltese said: “This work is about more than sharing tools. It’s about creating a regional network of educators who can learn from each other and build a foundation for lasting impact.”
For KID, the Western Balkans Design Sprint exemplifies the power of making as a bridge. It can connect educators across borders and inspire the next generation of creative problem-solvers. By empowering teachers, we help spark a ripple effect that reaches far beyond the classroom, demonstrating how making can serve as a shared language for creativity, innovation, and peace.
Annalise Phillips is KID’s Managing Director of Programs and Learning Innovation.
