At first, TUMO seemed like a small futuristic world, where young people felt like "Liza in Wonderland", as they immersed themselves every day more and more in the new world of endless possibilities offered by technology. But very soon, they became dominant in that world, from which they did not want to leave anymore, through trainings, leadership, numerous attractive workshops with their mentors, taking their passions, creative abilities beyond any imagination digital, in different disciplines. They found there the experience that made them feel freer and more creative, outside the protocols of the schools where they study.
When TUMO opened the doors to the biggest innovation center in Albania, Piramida, they were ready to explore other knowledge and dimensions. They were even more eager to continue the experience in other disciplines and creative activities.
Today they are much more than four years ago when TUMO started this journey, for them and with them. They have created a whole community, now of 1800 students, that we can call the GEN-TUMO generation, which awaits a much better future, the future that they are creating themselves today, guided by experienced mentors successful inside and outside Albania.
The opportunities are all there, with classes, disciplines, endless experiences and free training, which are provided by the scholarships offered by partners AADF and the Municipality of Tirana.
The disciplines that TUMO offers - animation, graphic design, game development, filmmaking, programming, 3D modeling, music, robotics, photography and drawing - are giving young people the power to change the world, the economy, the environment, the society they live in, that is, to be the leaders, the best experts of the digital tomorrow.
The unique experience they go through at TUMO is giving young people a whole new and modern dimension of learning, self-learning and putting their skills and talents into practice. Learning is self-paced and delivered through a software-based platform in English, allowing students to create their own personalized learning plan, albeit with the support and mentoring of experienced trainers.
Classes range from beginner to advanced and culminate in individual or group projects.
The first 2-3 months students follow the phase of individual learning or self-learning. After the end of the self-learning sessions, the students get ready for the seminars or workshops. Unlike the self-learning sessions, in this phase the students choose 4 disciplines. Each workshop lasts one month and the teaching is conducted by professional experts in the respective fields. All the experience and knowledge that the students have acquired during the phase of individual learning are practiced in seminars, where they start to create projects with their first jobs.
Each project is published in the participant's portfolio and often presented in competitions and festivals, or published online. In this way, young people start building their portfolio early, which will be a great advantage for them in universities, in the workplaces where they will apply and for their career. According to a study conducted by Dalberg on the impact of TUMO on students, the latter tend to outperform their peers in school and enter university with a strong foundation of skills.
Specifically, 36% of TUMO students, when asked, stated that they performed better in math compared to 22% of the comparison group. 68% of students think that TUMO has made them more active and participative, 75% that TUMO has improved time management skills and academic independence, 83% said that it has improved their teamwork skills, 69% of students claim that TUMO has helped them a lot in developing skills and creating a job profile, while 53% have admitted that the experience at TUMO has significantly increased their employment opportunities, thanks to the created network.
The students who have experienced this experience speak today with great enthusiasm and already have a clear vision of their journey. That journey that all young people of the GenZ generation should follow. TUMO is there just for them. Pyramid, the great center of innovation is in the heart of Tirana, just one step away from the desire to become the digital experts of the future, which they must build today.