Supplementary Materials for Teaching About Repair
This page offers a variety of materials and ideas to enrich teaching about repair.
Please send suggestions about material to add!
IFixit
A wealth of resources on various topics in repair — text and videos.
Source — iFixit, USA and worldwide
Age — All ages
Cost — Free
Access — See the anthology below
Resources:
Essays, articles, videos, research, repair manuals, technical information.
Anthology of Resources:
Resources
Well-organized and clear treatment of many issues related to repair, from environmental to political to economic, with research citations:
Video:
“I can imagine a world where ….”
Kyle Wiens, founder of iFixit, on technology, design, repair, social justice and the environment.
Big picture on the effects of ewaste, repair, and individual agency.
(4:28 min)
The Argument for Repair:
”Why We Do What We Do”
Repair Manifesto Poster:
Poster
“E-waste is the Toxic Legacy of our Digital Age”:
E-waste Portal
Orientation to e-waste issues, links to articles and research publications.
Right to Repair:
Overview of Right to Repair
News on Right to Repair
Extensive resources for understanding Right to Repair — the issues, the players, the policies, the actions across the country and in other parts of the globe.
iFixit resources explicitly for teaching are on the Materials from Existing Programs page.
iFixit resources to do repair are on the Practical and Technical Resources page.
iFixit is one of the giants of repair. Operating around the globe, they are: a private business selling parts and tools; a researcher and publisher of articles, essays and teaching resources addressing the what’s and why’s of repair; a free wiki-site for thousands of on-line repair manuals; and an advocate for right Right to Repair policies around the globe.
The Restart Project
A wealth of resources on various topics in repair — text, videos, illustrations, interactive.
Source — The Restart Project, London, UK
Age — All ages
Cost — Free
Access — See the anthology below
Resources:
Videos, podcasts, manifesto, right to repair resources.
Anthology of Resources:
Classroom Resources — Materials Matter
Age — All ages
Cost — Free
Access — Materials Matter
Resource for students to explore sourcing the materials in our phones.
Hands-on, print materials, and animated, interactive online tool.
The Restart Code (Manifesto) from The Restart Project
Age — All ages
Cost — Free
Access — Video (< 1 minute) and text about The Restart Code
Addresses our relationship with our electronics
Videos
Age — All ages
Cost — Free
Access — Videos
"Our videos are a great way to motivate students to repair, and help them grasp why it's about more than just saving money."
Podcast
Age — All ages
Cost — Free
Access — Their Top Five of 2019 are posted here.
An informative and engaging podcast about repair.
Restart resources explicitly for teaching are on the Materials from Existing Programs page.
Restart resources to do repair are on the Practical and Technical Resources page.
Based in London but active across the UK and EU and affiliated with organizations around the world, The Restart Project is a leader and vital presence in multiple repair arenas. This charitable organization operates a network of community repair events (Restart Parties) across the UK and the Continent; advocates for the Right to Repair policies; works with schools and local charitable organizations; conducts data collection and research; hosts a repair podcast; and more.
Relove Fashion
Sustainable Fashion Competition
Source Rediscovery Centre, UK
Age — UK secondary school (11 - 16 years old)
Cost — Free
Access — Relove Fashion
Relove Fashion is a sustainable fashion competition for high school age students. “The competition challenges secondary school students to explore creative reuse options such as upcycling, repairs, alterations and mending, inspiring them to take a closer look at how their clothing is made.”
Relove Fashion is part of a larger Rediscover Fashion initiative of the Rediscovery Centre. See Materials from Existing Programs for the program’s textile repair and alteration instructional materials.
How To Reduce Waste
Video — consumption-based economy and repair.
Source — Share and Repair Bath, UK
Age — All ages
Cost — Free
Access — Video
Very accessible video outlining how the linear economy functions, why it’s a problem, and where repair fits into reducing its harmful effects.
Created by Share and Repair Bath, a public charity running repair cafes, Library of Things, how-to workshops and more in Bath, England.
Making Outdoor Gear Sustainable
Video — The Repair Model That Could Save the Fashion Industry's Environmental Impact
Source — The Story of Stuff
Age — All ages
Cost — Free
Access — Video (3 minutes)
“The apparel industry is churning out new designs so quickly that its inventory can almost be considered single-use plastic. Repair Lair is one of many companies transforming the apparel industry, leading the way with a revolutionary business model to keep our clothes out of landfills.”
Visit The Story of Stuff Project website for an extensive library of very accessible and provocative videos addressing the various dimensions of how we relate with the materials stuff of this world: Videos.
Begin with their first video:
"The Story of Stuff" — Video (21 minutes)
“The Story of Stuff, originally released in December 2007, is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world.”
Six R’s Poster
Poster
Source — Tes, UK
Age — All ages
Cost — £1
Access — Six R’s Poster
Design and Technology poster about the 6 R’s — Reduce, Reuse, Refuse, Recycle, Rethink, Repair. Available in PDF format and Ai (Adobe Illustrator, editable).
Supply Chain MapS
Supply chain map
Source — Source Map
Age — All ages
Cost — Free
Access — Supply Chain Map
Interactive supply chain map allowing the user to follow materials from source through retailer for a range of products and industries. Recommended search: Fairphone.
Community Repair Events
Grass-roots action — Repair Cafés, Fixit Clinics, Restart Parties, and many local, independent renditions
Source — Various Public Media
Age — All ages
Cost — Free
Access — Palo Alto Repair Café video (3:28 min)
Access — Berkeley Repair Café video (1:54 min)
Access — Fixit Clinic video (3:23 min)
Access — Restart Parties video (4:19 min)
These videos communicate not only what community repair events are, but demonstrate one way people can respond to waste, planned obsolescence, barriers to repair, the consumption-driven economy, consumer dis-empowerment, and related.
See Materials from Existing Programs for resources linking community repair events to schools, designed to meet educational standards. See Schools and Community Repair Events for ideas on how to leverage local activities for learning, and for tips on finding local events. There are thousands of community repair events around the world. See How to Start One for materials to support starting a community repair event.
The essential elements of community repair events are teaching and emboldening people to fix their own things, encouraging a shift in how we think about our possessions, and raising awareness around the profound impact made by extending the life of what we already have.
The Essence of Repair Culture
Panel discussion on how repair is practiced and connects communities across the world.
Source — The Maintainers
Age — High school and up
Cost — Free
Access — Video — 1 hour 25 minutes
This video of a panel discussion moderated by Mathew Lubari explored maintenance, repair and care across countries and global contexts. Sponsored by The Maintainers.
”While repair and maintenance is relevant from the perspective of the circular economy in developed economies, in the case of displacement settings or underdeveloped economies it is a form of survival, or at least a means of ensuring the status quo.” Lubari was a 2023 Maintainers Movement Fellow.
Moderated by Matthew Lubari
Participants:
Romeo Ronald – Ask Net Community
Purna Sarkar – Repair Cafe Bengaluru
Maretta Osgood – The Workshop Floor Australia
James Pickstone – The Restart Project
Organize a Repair Cafe In My School!
Detailed instructions and supporting materials for establishing a Repair Café in a school context. (French)
Source — Repair Together (English)
Age — Manual for adults; events for pupils of any age
Cost — Free
Access — Organiser Un Repair Café Dans Mon École! (French)
Organiser Un Repair Café Dans Mon École! is a15 page guidebook, plus supplementary pages, mostly PDF’s. (French)
Repair Together is an affiliate of the International Repair Café Foundation
“Repair Together is a social association based on solidarity that helps and supports local initiatives to mobilise for the sustainable use of resources. Its aim is to pool the resources needed to create, develop and maintain the Belgian "Repair Cafés" in Brussels and Wallonia. Repair Together organises repair training courses to expand knowledge across the network and increase the expertise of the volunteer repairers. The non-profit organisation also offers activities focused on repair and the circular economy. These activities are aimed at schools as well as the general public.”
Repair Together partners with a network of organizations supporting repair in Europe and the UK.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation — Circular Economy
A wealth of resources to teach about the circular economy.
Source — Ellen MacArthur Foundation, UK
Age — All ages
Cost — Free
Access — See the anthology below
Resources:
Essays, articles, videos and research.
Anthology of Resources:
Video — Introduction to the Circular Economy
Age — All ages, easily accessible by younger students
Cost — Free
Access — Video
Explains the circular economy and how society can re-think progress. Animated video essay.
High level orientation and extensive resources for further study.
Age — Most materials are appropriate for high school and beyond (16 years old and up)
Cost — Free
Access — ”What Is A Circular Economy?”
Text, learning resources, videos, articles, case studies, resources for further learning
Searching their website on “repair” results in scores of pages addressing repair, many well-suited to supplement teaching about repair.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a standard-bearer of transforming economic activity from a linear model to a circular model. The Foundation offers extensive high-quality educational resources for teaching repair.
“Repair and maintenance keep things in use at their highest level… Repair is absolutely part of a circular economy.”
— Ellen MacArthur
ADEME Library
Articles, essays and research (French, some English)
Source — ADEME, France
Age — High school and up
Cost — Free
Access — Library (mostly French, some English)
Extensive library of materials related to sustainability, including repair. Most publications are in French, though a good number are in English, including, for example, a 24 page assessment of the French Repairability Index: Report.
ADEME is a public entity under the joint oversight of the French Ministry of the Ecological and Solidarity Transition and the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. (website in English)
Ademe resources are extensive, serving the public, private and public sectors; individuals and organizations. See ADEME under World Wide Initiatives for more.
unbroken.solutions
A wealth of resources in different formats — text, video, images, links to other sources.
Source — unbroken.solutions
Age — Middle school and up (13 years old and up)
Cost — Free
Access — See anthology below
Anthology of Resources:
Access — Overview of the Global Repair Movement with links to other initiatives
Access — Consumption, Solutions, Stories
Access — Anatomy of a phone
Access — Consumption of resources
Access — News
… and more
This website offers essays, photography, stories, research, links to other organizations and sources of materials, and more.
“unbroken.solutions explores the impact and our systemic solutions to waste; ways to overcome the barriers, identify ideas and resources that we can all access or demand our rights to use.”
The Maintainers — Coloring Book
Do not be misled by “Coloring Book”! This is sophisticated material, designed for high school students.
Repair is a core part of maintenance.
Source — The Maintainers
Age — Middle school and up (13 years old and up)
Cost — Free
Access — Coloring Book
“We dedicate this coloring book to all of the people whose daily efforts keep the world going.”
“Throughout this coloring book we wish to bring reflective questions, guiding you to identify your connection to maintenance and how it changes over time. Text and illustrations in this coloring book are inspired by papers and presentations that were part of The Maintainers III: Policy, Practice, and Care conference program in 2019.”
“Our hope is for those who engage with this book to come away with a new understanding of maintenance. The four sections of this coloring book have additional questions for you to consider
while you make your art. These questions have been modified from the NYS Common Core Arts Standards, and are geared toward students at the high school level and beyond. Younger learners may have questions for adults, and thus we encourage parents and teachers to review the coloring book prior. (http://www.nysed.gov/curriculum-instruction/arts-standards-implementation-resources)”
Get to know The Maintainers. They help you see the world a little more clearly.
Ten Really Good Reasons To Repair Stuff
List of substantive and playful reasons to repair things.
Source: Fixit Club
Age — All ages
Cost — Free
Access — 10 Reasons
Fixit Club offers practical and technical resources for repairing a wide range of objects. Encouraging, lighthearted and highly accessible.
"The Fix-It-Club has been helping people online with Free Repair Help for 13+ years (in 2024). Please take a look at our list of more than 250 Fix-It Guides for suggestions -- or use the Search ALL Repairs search box above and below to find easy projects. And read our articles on Fix-It Basics as a starting point."
ADEME
Classroom, after school and professional development materials for teaching about repair. (French)
Source — ADEME, France
Age — Middle School and beyond (14 years old and up)
Age — Teachers (professional development)
Cost — Free
Access — See the anthology below
Anthology of Resources:
Repair Generation / Génération Réparation: Aims to raise awareness and introduce middle and high school students to repairing everyday devices.
ADEME for Youth — Information on ecology for youth, offering simple solutions to implement daily.
ADEME for Teachers — Professional development and instructional materials.
ADEME Library — library of papers, essays and articles on ecological subjects including repair.
ADEME is a public establishment under the joint oversight of the French Ministry of the Ecological and Solidarity Transition and the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. (English)
Fieldston School
Video describing an on-campus, student-run repair program
Source — Ethical Culture Fieldston School
Age — Middle school and beyond (13 years old and up)
Cost — Free
Access — Video
"Inspired by the London-based Restart Project, the ECFS technology department launched its first student-led, technology repair program—called the Restart Center—at Fieldston Upper in November of 2015…The Restart Center is a designated space where students can learn how to repair and troubleshoot computers, tablets, and/or phones. Rather than thinking of the Restart Center as a "fix-it" tech center and troubleshooting drop-in space, the goal of Restart is to educate students to be responsible consumers of new technologies, as well as push for more sustainability efforts when it comes to device repair and maintenance."
Journalism About Repair
A wide range of dated but useful articles about repair.
Source — Various Newspapers, Journals, Blogs …
Age — Middle school and beyond (13 years old and up)
Cost — Free
Access — See the anthology below
This collection is both dated and is the tip of the iceberg. It’s included here to give visitors a jumpstart.
Anthology of Resources:
“Why France’s ‘repairability index’ is a big deal”
Grist
“Choosing to Skip the Upgrade and Care for the Gadget You’ve Got”
New York Times
“The trend to mend: how repair shops are leading a fixing revolution”
The Guardian
“Repairing an old thing is a small act of defiance against disposable culture — Spend It Better: The Repair Acts project is documenting the social history of repair, as well as holding workshops and events”
The Irish Times
"These 5 economic policy changes would help us live in harmony with God's gift of life"
The National Catholic Reporter
MEND Darn, Patch & Repair
Selvedge Magazine, Issue 102
Regular price £20.50 GBP
"Why France’s new ‘repairability index’ is a big deal"
Grist — Climate, Justice, Solutions
"Electric goods 'should have repairability rating'"
BBC News
“The Art of Repair”
New York Times
"The Biden administration thinks you should be allowed to fix the things you buy"
Washington Post
"Broken laptop? How California’s right-to-repair movement is trying to make it easier to fix your electronics"
San Francisco Chronicle
“Do It Yourself Home Repairs”
New York Times
“Smartphones Are Like Cars. So Why Don’t We Maintain Them?”
New York Times
Right to Repair
Challenging the System
Right to Repair has taken off. Maintaining a current list of resources is, thankfully, nearly impossible.
See Right to Repair for resources.
European Environmental Bureau (EEB) Report
The EEB published a report in September 2019 on the impact on the environment of short-lived products. Repair is central to extending products' useful lives.
"Our analysis shows that extending the lifetime of all washing machines, notebooks, vacuum cleaners and smartphones in the EU by just one year would save around 4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually by 2030, the equivalent of taking over 2 million cars off the roads for a year."
The full report including data, methodology and conclusions can be found HERE.
Tool Lending Library and Repair
A video from The Story of Stuff Project about The Zero Waste Movement, featuring Berkeley Public Library’s Tool Lending Library, host for Berkeley’s Fixit Clinics.
"Borrow Tools and Repair Stuff at This Library!"
"The Zero Waste movement is spreading across the United States. Say NO to mindless consumerism, say YES to Zero Waste."
US Environmental Protection Agency
Basics of Reducing and Reusing
Early elementary school students, includes short animated video: “The Story of Reuse”
Sum: "The most effective way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. Making a new product requires a lot of materials and energy - raw materials must be extracted from the earth, and the product must be fabricated then transported to wherever it will be sold. As a result, reduction and reuse are the most effective ways you can save natural resources, protect the environment and save money."
Fix-it Shops ~ An Endangered Species
This short video (5 minutes) by Dorothy Fadiman profiles Menlo Vacuum and Fix-It in Menlo Park, California. While the video was made in 1998, it continues to illustrate well the issues and opportunities around repair.
Synopsis: "Fix-it Shops takes an affectionate look behind the scenes at a neighborhood business which repairs small appliances. In this intimate portrait, viewers meet the people whose dedication, patience, and skills contribute to their own community. This form of “recycling” adds significantly to the urban ecosystem by reducing unnecessary waste in landfills."
"Fix-it Shops ~ An Endangered Species"
Menlo Vacuum and Fix-It was established in 1964. George Lynch, the third owner, continues to operate the shop, one of the last general appliance repair outfits still standing in The Bay.
"Repair Is Beautiful"
Paolo Goldstein: video (5:31 minutes)
Fix-Ed — Australia
A program in Brisbane, Australia
“How fix-ed works:
Students develop critical, empathetic mindsets to understand & Define Community problems.
Community Partners donate broken items For Fix-ed to repair, whilst other partners give resources & time.
Students grow creativity by responding to their identified problems through ideation, development & testing of ideas.
Enterprise skills are built as students develop business models around their proposals & grow confidence in pitching.
Students develop a range of hands-on repair skills to upcycle items. This includes fabrication & coding skills.
Repaired Items are leased to those people in the community who most need it to improve their quality of life.
“Participating students are engaging with enthusiasm and commitment. With their newly learnt skills in design thinking, social entrepreneurship and repair, there's no doubt they are well prepared to tackle community problems with creative opportunities which lead Australia to a bright future.”