The project aimed to raise awareness of coding and robotics among pupils, parents and teachers, while providing participants with concrete technical skills. We wanted students to learn 3D designing, printing, assembling robotic parts, programming and testing robots in different contexts such as route following, maze solving and search and rescue tasks. Our goals also included strengthening computational thinking, problem-solving and teamwork competences. For teachers, the objective was to gain new pedagogical approaches and broaden their professional networks. For schools, it was to increase visibility, foster innovation and attract more students to science and technology fields. In the long term, the project intended to enhance partner organisations’ capacity to respond to digital transformation and position them as active contributors to STEM education at local and European level.
We applied for this project because the need for digital skills in Europe was growing, while many young people still lacked access to structured coding and robotics training. Reports had shown that 90% of jobs required digital competences, but over one third of the labour force had no basic skills. Our pupils, aged 14–19, were in the same situation: coding was not part of their mandatory curriculum, yet it was essential for their professional future. By launching this project, we addressed the gap between education and labour market requirements. We also responded to parents’ concerns about future employability and to schools’ need to modernise teaching. The project therefore aimed to give pupils a head start in digital transformation, prepare them for international cooperation, and raise awareness about coding and robotics among families, teachers and local communities.