Associate
Free to join
Pay as you go: US$7 a term for each innovator or teacher.
- 1 teacher each term, with AI training
- 1 Innovation Challenge team of 5
- Invitation to Demo Day
- Annual report on your innovators
Membership for schools and organisations
Give your learners and teachers a place to invent
High schools, TVET institutes, colleges and organisations join Thinklab as members. Your learners work on real problems with mentors, and your teachers are coached in practical STEAM and AI. Under-served rural schools pay no fees.
Packages
Three packages, priced per year
A term is three months. Each extra innovator or teacher beyond your package costs US$7 a term.
Elite
US$1,000 a year
For schools that want a steady group of innovators each term.
- 50 innovators each term
- 3 teachers each term, with AI training
- 2 Innovation Challenge teams of 5
- 3 mentor visits to your STEAM club, 1 a term
- 1 Demo Day prototype slot
- A report on your innovators every term
Partner
US$3,000 a year
For large schools and organisations that want the full program.
- 160 innovators each term
- 8 teachers each term, with AI training
- 5 Innovation Challenge teams of 5
- 9 mentor visits, monthly during term
- 3 Demo Day prototype slots
- Patent (IP) clinic support for 2 prototypes
- 1 challenge or research question of your own each year
- A report on your innovators every quarter
Compare the packages side by side
| Each year | Associate | Elite | Partner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free to join | US$1,000 | US$3,000 |
| Innovators included each term | Pay as you go | 50 | 160 |
| Teachers included each term, with AI training | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| Each extra innovator or teacher | US$7 a term | US$7 a term | US$7 a term |
| Innovation Challenge teams of 5 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Mentor visits to your STEAM club | None | 3 (1 a term) | 9 (monthly in term) |
| Demo Day prototype slots | Invitation | 1 | 3 |
| Patent (IP) clinic support | None | None | 2 prototypes |
| Your own challenge or research question | None | None | 1 a year |
| Reports on your innovators | Every year | Every term | Every quarter |
Until our first model lab opens in 2028, member sessions run in our Pop-Up Lab.
Fees and waivers
Fair fees, and no under-served school turned away
Fees go straight back into the lab: running it, paying key technical staff, and buying reagents and equipment.
Per person, per term
US$7
Extra innovators and teachers
For each TVET or high school innovator or teacher beyond your package.
No fees at all
US$0
Under-served rural schools
Under-served schools in rural Africa are exempt from all fees. Ask for a waiver in the form below.
University students
UGX 85,000
A year, through the Fellowship
University students join on their own through the Thinklab University Fellowship.
How to join
Four steps to membership
- ApplyFill in the form below. It takes about 5 minutes.
- Talk with usOur programs team contacts you to agree your package and the number of learners and teachers.
- ConfirmWe confirm your package in writing and, for Elite and Partner, send an invoice. Fee waivers are also confirmed in writing.
- StartYour learners and teachers begin with an orientation on how the lab works.
Application form
Apply for membership
Please complete this form on behalf of your school or organisation. Questions marked * are required.
No payment now
You do not pay anything when you apply. We agree the package with you first.
Questions?
Call +256 772 310 404 or email connect@thinklabfoundation.org.
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Application received
If you have a question, call +256 772 310 404 or email connect@thinklabfoundation.org.
Questions
Questions schools often ask
Who can become a member?
High schools, TVET institutes, colleges and organisations. University students join on their own through the Thinklab University Fellowship.
How long is a term?
A term is three months.
What if we have more innovators than our package covers?
Each extra TVET or high school innovator or teacher beyond your package costs US$7 a term.
Can our school get a fee waiver?
Yes, if you are an under-served school in rural Africa. These schools are exempt from all fees. Ask for a waiver in the application form, and we will confirm it in writing.
Do we pay anything when we apply?
No. We first agree your package with you. For Elite and Partner packages, we then send an invoice.
Where do member sessions take place?
Until our first model lab opens in 2028, member sessions run in our Pop-Up Lab.
What do membership fees pay for?
Running the innovation lab, paying key technical staff, and buying reagents and equipment.
What is an Innovation Challenge team?
A team of five learners that works on a real problem set by Thinklab or a partner, builds a prototype and presents it.