The U.S. Embassy will bring together young inventors and innovators from across Sri Lanka at its second Maker Fair on October 20 at Trace Expert City.
This engineering-centered exhibition is free of charge and open to visitors of all ages. It will include innovation workshops for youth and panel discussions led by leading tech experts and academics.
The Maker Fair will also feature, with the support of Uva Wellasa University, Sri Lanka’s largest-ever robot battle.
“We’re extremely excited to be able to showcase this robo-battle at the Maker Fair,” said Mr. Ranjan Kulatunaga, Makerspace facilitator.
“This platform helps inspire more Sri Lankan youth to pursue careers in technology and innovation.” U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Officer David McGuire explained that the Maker Fair is one aspect of the Makerspaces,
He noted that “anyone can sign up for our Makerspace programs at our American Center in Colombo and our corners in Kandy, Jaffna, and Matara. They’re designed to encourage and cultivate innovation.”
The U.S. Embassy launched its Makerspace program at the American Center in October 2016 to provide technology and resources that foster innovation and solve problems.
The result was an outpouring of interest. Sri Lankan youth, educators, and business leaders recognized the tremendous value of the initiative.
With such a positive response, the U.S. Embassy held the island’s first-ever Maker Fair in Kandy in December 2018. Much like Sri Lanka’s entrepreneurship eco-system, the maker-culture has grown, and this year’s fair will showcase over 65 innovators and their inventions.
The American Center Colombo, along with the American Corners in Jaffna, Kandy, and Matara, offers regular programs for youth on entrepreneurship, leadership, English language training, social media, 3D printing, coding, and much more
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