Inbizzy, Labuan Bajo, — Telkom Indonesia’s innovation arm Indigo has taken its nationwide AI Connect road‑show to the far‑eastern town of Labuan Bajo, equipping dozens of high‑schoolers with hands‑on skills in artificial intelligence and digital entrepreneurship.
Over two days (16–17 June), 61 Grade XI and XII students from the Visual Communication Design and Fashion Design tracks at SMK St. Yosefa swapped their regular timetables for a crash course titled “Digitalisation, AI, and Lean Canvas.”
Led by Mershinta Rahmadani, Business & Community Lead of Indigospace Labuan Bajo, the workshop blended theory with practice. In a team simulation dubbed “I’m a Startup Founder, Therefore I…,” students mapped community problems, drafted technology‑driven solutions and captured them in a one‑page Lean Canvas — the startup world’s shorthand for a business model.
“Digitalisation is not just about tools; it’s a mindset,” said Patricia Eugene Gasperz, Senior Manager at Indigo. “AI is no longer a distant future — it’s here today. We want students to gain digital literacy early and feel confident experimenting with it.”
Bridging an East‑West digital divide
While Indonesia’s technology sector accelerates, educators warn that pupils in the archipelago’s eastern provinces still lack basic exposure to emerging tools. Limited curriculum integration and a shortage of mentors have widened the digital skills gap.
Indigo’s workshop is designed to shrink that divide. Beyond explaining how generative AI works, facilitators encouraged participants to spin local challenges — from sustainable tourism to small‑scale fisheries — into marketable products and services.
“Many students delivered strong, community‑centric ideas once they were given the space,” Rahmadani reported. “They connected real problems to tech‑based solutions with impressive confidence.”
More than a tech demo
Teachers at SMK St. Yosefa called the program a valuable model for contextual, hands‑on learning. By anchoring lessons in the students’ daily lives, they said, the initiative prompts a longer‑term shift toward innovation‑driven thinking.
Telkom Indonesia plans to replicate the formula elsewhere. Through AI Connect, the state‑owned telco is rolling out similar sessions across underserved regions, pairing AI literacy with entrepreneurial frameworks.
“Our commitment is to create more learning spaces where young Indonesians don’t just consume technology — they use it to build solutions,” Gasperz said. “From local classrooms, they can help shape a more digital, inclusive, and competitive Indonesia.”
