About Us

TechSpace is a social enterprise with a vision of an Ireland where all young people have access and support to develop creative learning skills through the use of digital technology.

Our mission is to develop a national network of digital media ‘TechSpaces’ within youth services and projects, converting young people from being passive users into active creators of digital content.

Supported by adult mentoring, the young people build confidence, skills and social mobility to help succeed in their lives and future careers.

The TechSpace Programme endeavors to reach all young people with a particular focus on young people from disadvantaged communities with little or no access to creative, smart and innovative technology learning opportunities.

However, the TechSpace Programme offers technology learning opportunities for all young people and is equally available to any youth organisation.

Activities in a ‘TechSpace’ come from a range of creative disciplines. For example:

film, music production, photography, graphic design, animation, smart phone app development, game design and much more.

People learn best when they are actively engaged in designing and creating, not just passively receiving information. When young people can follow their own interests and collaborate with others in a safe and non-judgmental environment, they tend to work harder and learn more in the process.

The TechSpace initiative is based upon the globally deployed Computer Clubhouse model of learning developed by MIT Media Lab. Within Ireland, there are two Computer Clubhouses providing  safe and creative environments in multimedia technology for young people from under-served communities. Their mission is to provide the young people with new skills, confidence and choices that are not otherwise available to them, helping them to succeed in their lives and careers. Full-time coordinators are complimented by volunteer mentors who offer one-to-one guidance to the youth members, allowing them the freedom to experiment and explore their own creativity.

The Irish Computer Clubhouses are part of a global network of 105 Clubhouses, established in 1993 by the Boston Museum of Science in collaboration with MIT Media Lab. Seed funding from the Intel Foundation helped the network to develop. In Dublin, the two Clubhouses are hosted by Foroige in Blanchardstown and the South West Inner City Network (SWICN) in The Liberties, Dublin 8. The experience is that the Clubhouses provide a particularly effective and productive form of drop-in youth service for these organisations.

Both Irish Computer Clubhouses were established in 2001 and 2003 respectively. They have impacted significantly on the lives of hundreds of young people who have developed mastery in computer-based technology.

Camara Ireland hosts the Hotspots Ireland Programme for the consortium of partners.

Camara Ireland is a social enterprise that aims to reform the current education system, and empower educators in disadvantaged and under resourced communities to provide world class education to all.

Foróige, the National Youth Development Organisation is the first youth work organisation to adopt the Hotspots programme. Foróige currently works with 56,000 young people and 5,000 volunteers.

IADT is an Irish third level educational institution contributing to the digital media training and certification of Hotspots coordinators.

The Hotspots Programme is the based on the Computer Clubhouse model. The two Clubhouses in Dublin provide safe and creative environments in multimedia technology for young people from under-served communities.

The Clubhouses are hosted by Foróige in Blanchardstown and the South West Inner City Network in The Liberties, Dublin 8.