Jakarta. The Riady Foundation is stepping up efforts to strengthen STEM education in Indonesia, launching a two-day Makerspace Professional Development program for teachers across Greater Jakarta.

The initiative, held Sept. 19–20 at Aryaduta Menteng Hotel, is part of STEM Indonesia Cerdas, a nationwide movement launched earlier this year to make science, technology, engineering, and mathematics more accessible and engaging in schools.

“STEM is not just about formulas, robots, or labs. It’s a mindset,” said Dr. Stephanie Riady, M.Ed., who sits on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and spearheaded the STEM Indonesia Cerdas Movement. “It teaches children to ask before answering, to look for solutions before giving up, and to collaborate before competing.”

Stephanie stressed that STEM equips students with critical thinking, problem-solving, and data-driven decision-making skills, competencies that she called “the literacy of our century” and vital for Indonesia’s global competitiveness.

The program brought together 74 teachers from schools and madrasahs in the capital region. With guidance from Makerspace Coordinator Calum Walker, participants learned how to design project-based lessons that bridge theory with practical applications. The concept, branded Ruang Karya, encourages hands-on activities that are fun, relevant, and easy to replicate in classrooms with limited resources.

“Our goal is to create meaningful learning experiences for teachers, so they can pass on the spirit of innovation to their students,” said Dr. Dorita Setiawan, Director of STEM Indonesia Cerdas. She added that the approach will also be adapted for schools in Indonesia’s frontier and remote areas, where facilities are often lacking. “Teacher capacity, not equipment, is the real key.”

The Riady Foundation, through its philanthropic arm Pelita Harapan Group (PHG), has already tested makerspace learning with 8,000 students across its 61 schools nationwide. Findings show that even without dedicated facilities, more than 80 percent of students engaged positively when teachers applied STEM concepts effectively.

By combining training, grassroots implementation, and broader outreach to disadvantaged regions, the Foundation hopes the program will help nurture a generation of adaptive, creative, and resilient Indonesians ready for the demands of the 21st century.

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