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MASK (Mobile Art School in Kenya)

MASK strengthens creativity of young people for successful employment and leadership.

MASK enables young people's economic sustainability by strengthening their creativity through specially developed local and national training programmes. Creativity is what separates those who are prepared for the increasingly complex work and life environment in the 21st century, and those who are not.

Shortlisted

Overview

HundrED shortlisted this innovation

HundrED has shortlisted this innovation to one of its innovation collections. The information on this page has been checked by HundrED.

2007

Established

-

Children

15

Countries
Target group
All
Updated
March 2020
As our world grows interdependent, we look forward to working together to the benefit of all nations and to strengthening the bonds between people.

About the innovation

Our Story

The issue:


  • Hiring employees with the creative skill is a priority for employers, according to business surveys. 75-80% of employers report difficulty recruiting creative employees which threatens their companies' growth.

  • Many schools fail to foster creativity of its students, lacking experience and expertise. Some educators still think that creativity cannot be taught 'directly' or it is linked to IQ. As result, only 4-22% school and college leavers display 'excellent' creative skill. Young people lacking creativity fail as entrepreneurs and leaders

  • Not adequately preparing people for the world where creativity is a critical skill impedes their opportunities and hampers socio-economic transformation of society.

Our vision is a world where creativity is widely understood, learned and practiced.

With a mission to strengthen creativity and innovation in young people, and to champion a role of creativity for cultural and socio-economic development and change.

Our aim is toempower young people to achieve success and economic self -sustainability through strong creativity

MASK started as a small mobile unit in 2007 pioneering creativity clubs in schools in Kenya to fill the creativity education gap, we progressed sufficiently to present its work at UNESCO IIEP (France), UNESCO KNC (South Korea), Nairobi National Museum and RaMOMA (Kenya), Kenyan Embassy (France), SOAS University of London, Royal Overseas League, Turner Contemporary, Saatchi Gallery (UK), George Washington University, Woodrow Wilson Center, US Library of Congress, the White House (USA) and other institutions.

Following the presentation at the White House, in their letter to MASK Barack and Michelle Obama wrote: "As our world grows interdepended, we look forward to working together to the benefit of all nations and to strengthening the bonds between people."

We have been acknowledged by Education Innovations Initiative of Harvard University and by the Center for Education Innovation of the Results for Development Institute, and featured in a number of specialist and national press and media.

Working closely with the Kenyan Ministry of Education throughout, we were pleased to see the Kenyan education reform of 2017 that made creativity a “core competences” of the basic school curriculum. "MASK has been an absolute game-changer for my creative occupation" and "the driver of change in our society’" say our beneficiaries.

What do we do?

We provide young people with training for creativity and innovation to improve their employability, entrepreneurial and leadership skills.

In the 21st century, creativity is the skill that separates people who are prepared for increasingly complex life and work environments and those who are not.

MASK has developed and implements innovative and effective 'creativity for economic sustainability' programmes, both local and national.

Our ex-students become successful professionals, entrepreneurs, leaders, and even a patent-registering scientist.

Creativity - is the ability to identify problems and generate innovative and resourceful solutions. This ability is rooted in two key capacities: visualisation and connecting knowledge across a wide range of disciplines. Creativity equals to intellect such as adaptivity, flexibility and resilience; good work ethics such as initiative and effectiveness; teamwork and collaboration, including effective communication, and to the change-bringing leadership. Creativity develops highly positive values and attitudes that shape character and affect decisions and actions.

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