MyMachine is a unique inter-generational co-creation process: —in one school year:
- Step1: Primary School Children invent a “Dream Machine” (IDEA). Anything goes, as long as they really, really want it.
- Step2: University Students (students in engineering, product design, digital design, occupational therapy, teacher training, communication, etc.) design a CONCEPT for it.
- Step3: Technical/Vocational Secondary Students make a WORKING PROTOTYPE.
These steps are not divided steps. Students in these 3 levels of education truly collaborate for months to elaborate Dream Machines like the Homework-Making-Machine, The Chase-The-Evil-Ghosts-Machine, the Learn-To-Talk-About-Emotions-Machine, The Quarrel-Solver, the Jump-To-The-Moon-Machine, and thousands of others.
All students learn that having ideas is important and fun. They learn that you can bring any idea to life: by being creative, entrepreneurial, and collaborative, by respecting each other's talents, and by being persistent and resilient. Whether their Dream Machine is something fun, personal, for a loved one, for their community, or to tackle a global issue, it all starts with building the creative confidence that your ideas matter and can make a difference!
At the same time, MyMachine operates as an organised free haven in the education system, engaging educators to participate in the powerful approach of project-based learning.
Our mission:
With our student-driven methodology, we nurture those brilliant minds who still dare to think differently and creatively.
This is essential to our progress (personally, community, and humanity) because old habits do not open new doors.
If we genuinely want breakthrough solutions for poverty, cancer treatment, space exploration, mobility, energy, healthy food supply, etc., we must nurture and support those who dare to think differently.
And those groundbreaking —often initially perceived as crazy— ideas, come from those who have the guts to express and test them. They have what it takes: creative confidence. They go beyond the fear of the unknown, the fear of taking the first step, the fear of losing control, and the fear of being judged.
The Challenge
All children have big ideas and share them easily. They are not yet constrained by their knowledge. Once an adult in the workforce, 83% of people never voice their ideas.
Where children see nothing but potential, adults see limitations. Why is that? What happens when we grow up?
As we grow up, most of our ideas are systematically ridiculed and dismissed. Moreover, most education systems never allow students to voice their ideas and bring them to life. We are gradually stripped of our creative confidence. That’s how we become experts in boycotting our own ideas and those of others (“won’t work”, “no budget”, “won’t meet the deadline”, etc.). As a result, empowerment diminishes. We become silent, afraid of being labelled. This reality is harsh. In most cases, it becomes a lifelong torment.
We need a radical change because shattering children’s youthful confidence crushes a lifetime of joy and purpose in pursuing ideas. When children’s ideas and emotions are ignored, dismissed, or ridiculed, they grow up believing that their thoughts and ideas don’t matter.
This invalidation doesn’t just stay in childhood. It follows you into adulthood, shaping your confidence and decision-making.
At MyMachine, we never dismiss those young ideas. We find ways to test and value them. They learn to bring their ideas to life by collaborating, respecting each other’s talents, and being resilient and persistent. That’s how we make them feel valued, so they grow up knowing it’s worth investing in their own ideas.
That’s exactly what we do at MyMachine. Whatever a child asks for, we are building it. Or rather, they design and build it themselves. Together. We provide the ecosystem of talents.
In the context of MyMachine, it’s not about finding new markets or commercially viable products. It’s all about the journey, about learning how to bring ideas to life. And this matters a lot, because having creative confidence — understanding that your ideas matter and can make a difference — is the core of all progress. It’s the heart of engaging with your life, friends, family, community, and humanity. It’s the ability to be aware of your environment, challenges, opportunities, and the willingness to use your imagination to find solutions.
And in the grand scheme of things, if we genuinely desire breakthrough solutions, we must nurture those who dare to think differently to tackle the challenges we face in creating a prosperous, inclusive future for all.
Those groundbreaking — often initially perceived as “crazy” — ideas come from those with the guts to express and test them. No matter the scope, whether the idea is personal, to help a family member, to improve their neighbourhood, or to tackle a global issue, it all starts with creative confidence: going beyond the fear of the unknown, the fear of taking the first step, the fear of losing control, and the fear of being judged.
Children — naturally — hold the key to unlocking their creative confidence. They demonstrate to us, the adults, how it’s done. Because they can and because they want to! And so should we.
https://www.mymachine-global.org
Read MyMachine Co-Founder Piet Grymonprez's article for Arianna Huffington's Thrive Global: click here to go to this article.
Read our book with a foreword by Sir Ken Robinson
What Is Your Dream Machine? How Children Change The Education System Worldwide
out now worldwide and in many online stores, including Amazon: find your copy here:https://mymachine-global.org/what-is-your-dream-machine-the-book/
Growing our model on all continents
We grow our model in two ways:
- by establishing local Chapters in different regions/countries around the world.
- by inviting schools worldwide to join our annual MyMachine DreamsDrop Campaign.
This is how we have already organised over 2,1 Million student-hours in schools in Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Italy, Kenya, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Türkiye, Ukraine, USA, and Vietnam.
MyMachine is endorsed by HundrED and by a.o.:
- United Nations World Summit Award
- Australia Good Design
- Korea Good Design
- Corporate LiveWire
- The New York Academy of Sciences
- Harvard University
- Fast Company
- Sir Ken Robinson
- Forbes
- Montessori Global Education
- Lego Foundation
- Qatar Foundation
- Wise Qatar
- Tom Vander Ark
- Sir Richard Branson
- Peter Gamwell
- The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
- Agoria Belgian Technology Industry Federation
- Voka Chamber of Commerce Belgium
Awards
- Best Experiential Learning & Creative Education Methodology 2026 – EU Business News Enterprise Awards
- Tech Education Initiative Of The Year 2026 - Innovation & Excellence Award
- MIT Solve - Accelerate Steam Education List 2026
- Global Excellence Awards - Best Global Student‑Driven Innovation Education Programme 2025
- Montessori Star 2025
- HundrED & Montessori Child-Centred Learning Spotlight 2025
- Corporate LiveWire Tech Education Initiative of the Year 2025
- Corporate LiveWire Tech Education Initiative of the Year 2024
- Australia Good Design Award 2023
- Korea Good Design Award 2023
- Corporate LiveWire Tech Education Initiative of the Year 2023
- EdTech Digest's Global Leaders List 2023
- Inducted into the HundrED Hall Of Fame
- HundrED Innovator 2023
- Reimagine Education Presence Learning Silver Winner Award 2023
- HundrED Innovator 2022
- Recognised by Fast Company as World-Changing Idea
- MyMachine's Co-Founder Piet Grymonprez entitled HundrED Innovator Of The Year 2021
- HundrED Innovator 2021
- HundrED and LEGO Foundation Spotlight On Creativity
- HundrED Innovator 2020
- United Nations World Summit Award
- Reimagine Education Presence Learning Gold Winner Award 2018
- Designmanagement Europe Award
- Lern Award
- Belgian Chamber of Commerce Award.
MyMachine was founded by Filip Meuris, Jan Despiegelaere and Piet Grymonprez.
