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A project by Ideo Maker

María Elena Technical-Vocational High School

An Aula Impulsa 4.0 for the technical-vocational high school in María Elena: designed with its community, set up on site and opened in September 2025.

A project byIdeo Maker, for Fundación Chile
Year2025
My roleSpace design, 3D model, fit-out and teacher training
ServicesFabLab · Space design · Teacher training · 3D modeling · Education

This is a project by Ideo Maker, made by its team. Here I show the part I worked on.

María Elena Technical-Vocational High School
Photo: CCM-Eleva Alliance

An Aula Impulsa for María Elena Technical-Vocational High School, in the Antofagasta region. Impulsa 4.0 is a Fundación Chile program funded by Antofagasta Minerals, BHP, Codelco, Novandino Litio and SQM, which aims to bring students and teachers closer to four Industry 4.0 technologies: robotics, virtual and augmented reality, programming and prototyping. Ideo Maker carried out the whole project, from participatory design to teacher training, in parallel with the classroom at Likan Antai Bicentennial Agricultural High School, in San Pedro de Atacama.

01My role

  • Space design and 3D model in Unreal Engine
  • Budgets, Gantt chart and logistics
  • On-site setup: assembling and installing the furniture
  • Teacher training in the four technologies

Ideo Maker team

  • Sebastián Higuera
  • Patricia Ramírez
  • Vicente Cáceres
  • Nelson Mora
  • Javiera Matus
  • Diego López

02Co-design

The first stage was on site, in April 2025: an interview with the leadership team, a maker fair with a student survey, a focus group with teachers and a technical survey of the room. What came out of it defined the layout of the space, the technologies that were bought and the construction work needed before installing anything.

The classroom, modeled in Unreal Engine before it was built.
The classroom, modeled in Unreal Engine before it was built.
The courtyard, in the model.
The courtyard, in the model.

03The setup

The room was not ready to take in technology. The electrical supply had few outlets and no distribution under the tables, there was no air conditioning and the furniture was built in, so it could not be rearranged into stations. That is why the project added electrical work, air conditioning and interior and exterior paint to the purchase of equipment and furniture. The room was painted in Ideo Maker's palette.

The finished classroom, with the virtual reality, electronics and 3D printing zones.
The finished classroom, with the virtual reality, electronics and 3D printing zones.Photo: CCM-Eleva Alliance
Robotics and tool crib in the back.
Robotics and tool crib in the back.Photo: CCM-Eleva Alliance
The tool wall.
The tool wall.Photo: CCM-Eleva Alliance
The work tables.
The work tables.Photo: CCM-Eleva Alliance

04Teacher training

Between October and November 2025 the teaching staff was trained in digital fabrication, virtual reality, programming and educational robotics. Each technology had two in-person sessions, an asynchronous activity and a log where each teacher recorded their prototypes. The teachers themselves set the order of the modules during co-design, starting with what they could use the next day.

Educational robotics with MK-BOT, Ideo Maker's kit.
Educational robotics with MK-BOT, Ideo Maker's kit.
A teacher working with the home automation kit.
A teacher working with the home automation kit.
The programming session.
The programming session.
The virtual reality session.
The virtual reality session.

The classroom opened on September 2, 2025, with warranty, maintenance and technical and teaching support until August 2026.

The team that sets up the Aulas Impulsa model, at the opening.
The team that sets up the Aulas Impulsa model, at the opening.Photo: CCM-Eleva Alliance
The ribbon cutting.
The ribbon cutting.Photo: CCM-Eleva Alliance
The Aula Impulsa 4.0 award ceremony.
The Aula Impulsa 4.0 award ceremony.Photo: CCM-Eleva Alliance

In the press

Photo album of the openingCCM-Eleva Alliance · FlickrMining united for education: four companies open STEM technology classroomsPortal Minero · September 2, 2025