International contest on robot building skills for Secondary Education students

We applied for the project to address critical gaps in digital education as highlighted by the Digital Education at School in Europe, Eurydice Report 2019. It identified a disconnect between students' digital proficiency in non-school settings and their limited engagement with technology for educational purposes. Teachers lacked digital competences and training, hindering effective integration into the curriculum. Both partners recognised the pivotal roles of digitalization and robotics in the future. The project aligned with our belief that society's dependence on digital tools necessitates comprehensive digital skills development. Our focus on sustainability reflected the growing societal awareness of environmental preservation. Motivation is paramount in learning and we used this project and its activities to bridge the gap between education and students' immediate social and environmental realities. This project aimed to enhance digital skills, foster interest in STEAM, and motivate students and teachers to improve their skills. It unified the educational community's interests, offering a holistic approach to address the evolving needs of students and teachers in today's digital society.

The BuildYourRobot project aimed to address the digital transformation gap in European schools, aiming to enhance digital readiness, resilience, and capacity. The project's primary objectives included designing a replicable 3-day Hackathon for students, establishing a supportive network with schools and local administrations, and executing the event. The project targeted the improvement of digital skills for both teachers and students alike, fostering interest in STEAM, and enhancing post-pandemic skills such as problem-solving, creativity, leadership, and teamwork. Another key objective was to raise awareness of the importance of sustainability and environmentally responsible action and so we focused the topic of our Hackathon challenges on this. The ultimate goal was to provide a unique, engaging and motivating approach for schools and teachers to work on digitalization and STEAM, contributing to a resilient educational community. Our objective was to empower students with practical digital skills, promote environmental consciousness through the ecological challenges, and establish a lasting network for continued collaboration in advancing digital education, STEAM and robotics across Europe.

The project's multifaceted approach intended to bridge digital education gaps, promote interest in STEAM, and foster a sense of collaboration among educators and students across Europe through 4 core activities: 1.Hackathon Planning: -Detailed preparation and planning, ensuring a structured and engaging event. -Development of activities suitable for students age/ability and related to environmental challenges -Local-level and online testing to refine and optimise the activities 2.Training Programme: -Development of a training program for coaches (6-8hours) -Delivery of training to equip coaches with the skills to support students effectively during the Hackathon 3.Stakeholder Network: -Establishment of a robust network involving schools, technological centres, and local administrations -Collaboration to support the organisation, dissemination, and impact of the project and raise awareness of digitalisation and STEAM education -Creation of project logo and website to promote awareness, sustainability, and scalability 4.Hackathon: -Execution of the Hackathon, tasking participants with building a robot and addressing environmental issues using technology -Participation of students aged 11-16 from partner and other interested schools

Project Logo & Website: Designed a logo and established a website to host project materials, enhancing visibility and accessibility Tutorials: Created tutorials for students, facilitating their understanding and participation in the Hackathon Hackathon Event Design: Successfully designed a 4-day Hackathon event that addresses ecological challenges using robotics in which 43 students participated from 3 schools. Created a structured framework ready for adoption by others interested in organising similar events Training Programme for Coaches: Developed and implemented comprehensive training for coaches to support students during the Hackathon. Established a valuable resource accessible and adaptable for use by others seeking coach training Stakeholder network: Established a collaborative network of 35 entities, with 15 being from outside partner countries. Strengthened partnerships with stakeholders who provided support and enhanced the project impact Motivation: Motivated students and teachers toward digitalization and STEAM fields and their benefits for generating innovative solutions to societal problems The results highlight its success in achieving its objectives and underscore its impact on students and educators.