CODING MY FUTURE

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 designin...

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.

The project was implemented through four international mobilities, each building on the previous one. In Turkey, pupils learned 3D design and printed the bodies of their robots. In Portugal, they assembled sensors, motors and Arduino boards to create route-following robots. In the Czech Republic, they upgraded them with ultrasonic sensors to run through mazes. Finally, in Italy, they transformed the robots into search and rescue devices equipped with Bluetooth modules and robotic arms. Alongside these activities, dissemination events were organised at schools to involve parents, teachers, media and decision makers. The implementation was supported by constant online meetings, documentation of progress, and the creation of a project website and eTwinning platform for sharing outputs. All partners contributed equally, hosting one mobility and ensuring proper training and follow-up.

The project produced several tangible and intangible results. Pupils acquired practical coding and robotics competences, from 3D modelling to programming algorithms. They also developed transversal skills such as teamwork, communication in English and intercultural understanding. Teachers gained new methods and contacts, while schools strengthened their STEM profiles and visibility in local communities. The robots designed and tested during the project became concrete outputs, later exhibited in dissemination events. Websites, eTwinning pages and social media posts ensured visibility and sustainability. In addition, indirect results included increased parental awareness, stronger motivation among students to pursue science and engineering careers, and closer cooperation between partner schools. The project also exceeded expectations by establishing robotics clubs at partner schools and by creating a model of collaboration that can be replicated in future Erasmus+ initiatives.