TUMO Opens in Uruguay in Collaboration with Google: How Creativity and Tech Skills are Transforming Teen Education

TUMO, the international educational organization, has opened its first center in Uruguay, marking another step in its expansion across South America. Located in the Carrasco district near the international airport, the new campus is more than just an educational facility; it is a space where teenagers are encouraged to develop their imagination, skills, and self-confidence through creativity and modern technology. The opening ceremony was attended by President Yamandú Orsi, highlighting the project's national and symbolic significance.

TUMO Uruguay was built in partnership with Aeropuertos Uruguay and Corporación América Airports, which invested $10 million into the project. The 2,500-square-meter facility is designed as an open environment for learning, socializing, and collaboration. Everything here serves a single goal: rather than just absorbing knowledge, teens should freely explore various forms of self-expression—from digital design and filmmaking to animation and sound.

Creativity as Education

TUMO caters to teenagers aged 12 to 18, fostering creativity, independence, and skills through hands-on learning. The program is free, making it accessible to a diverse range of young people. However, TUMO's value goes beyond accessibility; its true strength lies in offering teenagers a personalized creative journey rather than a standardized curriculum.

The Uruguay site offers robotics, animation, filmmaking, music, design, and generative AI. This range of disciplines reflects a key modern trend: art no longer exists in isolation from technology but increasingly evolves through it. For teenagers, this is a chance not only to master new tools but to learn to think like creators—building visual worlds, telling stories, working with sound and imagery, and experimenting with form.

The TUMO Philosophy

The name TUMO is rooted in Armenian cultural and symbolic context, with the project itself founded in Armenia in 2011. From the start, the vision was broader than mere after-school tutoring; TUMO was conceived as a space where youth could unlock their potential through creative technology rather than rigid academic structures.

This is why TUMO is often described as a model for the future. Here, teenagers come not for grades, but for experience, projects, and the opportunity to find their own creative voice. The emphasis is on freedom of choice as much as discipline, and personal trajectories as much as knowledge. This philosophy is particularly effective in an artistic context, as it integrates visual culture, digital media, and technological thinking within a single educational environment.

Partnership with Google

The collaboration between TUMO Uruguay and Google deserves special mention. The company has announced a two-year partnership focused on advancing artificial intelligence education. For teens, this means access to cutting-edge knowledge in one of the most rapidly evolving technological fields—one that is already impacting art, media, design, and digital production.

This partnership exemplifies TUMO’s logic: it is not about replacing traditional education, but supplementing it with an environment where technology serves as a creative tool. In this sense, the project is particularly vital for the arts, demonstrating how the digital age is reshaping the very nature of artistic education.

A Space for the New Generation

The new Carrasco center features 250 state-of-the-art computers, a recording studio with a control room, robotics labs, rehearsal zones, and self-study spaces. Together, these facilities create an environment where teenagers can not only learn but also feel part of a vibrant cultural process. The central staircase and open architecture emphasize the concept of interaction, where peer exchange is as important as individual growth.

In its first year, the center plans to host approximately 800 teenagers, with plans to expand to 1,500 students per week during 2026. Interest in the program is already massive, with over 5,000 applications submitted. This suggests that the TUMO format is in high demand because it meets the modern need for flexible, inspiring education where creativity is treated as a vital skill for the future.

Carolina Gutiérrez, Executive Director of TUMO Uruguay, notes: “TUMO provides young people with more than just tools; it gives them confidence in their own potential. Every student here can find their voice, whether they are an artist, a programmer, or an inventor.”

Martín Eurnekian, CEO of Corporación América Airports, added: “TUMO doesn’t come to replace traditional education; it comes to strengthen it—turning school into a space of inspiration where a new society is born.”

TUMO’s Global Presence

Today, TUMO operates both within Armenia and internationally, with a network spanning Europe, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East. The current list of TUMO locations includes cities such as Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Berlin, Mannheim, Lisbon, Coimbra, Tirana, Buenos Aires, Gunma, and beyond. In Armenia itself, the network covers Yerevan, Dilijan, Gyumri, Kapan, Koghb, and Yeghegnadzor, along with the regional TUMO Box network.

Therefore, the opening of the center in Uruguay can be seen as more than just a geographic expansion; it is a cultural statement. TUMO demonstrates that in the modern world, the lines between art, technology, and education can no longer be strictly drawn. For teenagers, it is not merely a place of study, but an entry point into a world where ideas become projects and creativity becomes the blueprint for the future.