As part of the “Local Development and Poverty Reduction” Program, more than 9 thousand students participated in STEM workshops and programs

09 Apr As part of the “Local Development and Poverty Reduction” Program, more than 9 thousand students participated in STEM workshops and programs

Four regional science centers were established, within which 50 educational programs were established.

More than 9,000 students participated in STEM workshops and programs, four regional science centers with 50 educational programs were established, and 34 schools and centers for the education of children with disabilities were equipped – this is only part of the results of the “Local Development and Poverty Reduction” Program, for which the final event was held in Zadar.

The program was aimed at improving the competences of teachers and educational staff and developing teaching models in entrepreneurship, with the aim of strengthening the knowledge, skills and competences of students in rural and deprived areas, and was financed through the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021. Thus, within the Program, over 2,300 educational staff improved their skills and competences in the field of STEM, information and communication technology, entrepreneurship and active citizenship.

“Equal educational possibilities are the foundation for building a successful and equal society. That is why we have implemented a number of projects throughout Croatia through this Programme, which aimed to modernise infrastructure, procure modern technology and strengthen primary education. With these and similar programmes, we encourage the development of knowledge and skills needed for the professions of the future, and we ensure that our children are prepared for the labour market throughout their education, with the same standard as their peers across Europe,” said Domagoj Mikulić, State Secretary of the Ministry of Regional Development and European Union Funds.

The value of the Programme is EUR 32.2 million, of which 85% is made up of grants from the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism, and 15% is national co-financing.

An exhibition of projects implemented within the Programme was also presented as part of the event, which can be viewed until 11 April in front of the Zadar City Library, and the three most successful projects were announced according to online voting by users and the general public.

Out of more than 1,700 votes, 27% went to the project “Possibilities of a Smart Village” by the Mijat Stojanović Elementary School from Babina Greda, which was implemented with a donor partner, the Norwegian Brundalen Elementary School. As a result of the project, the school was equipped with new technological tools, including LEGO robots, 3D modeling equipment, and STEM education devices.

Second place went to the project “Tesla’s Classroom” by the Sibinjskih žrtava Elementary School from Sibinj, in partnership with the Nikola Tesla – Genius for the Future Association and the Open Computer Workshop “We Are All Against” Association, and donor partner GeoCamp Iceland ehf from Iceland. One of the key results of the project is the adaptation of the classroom for STEM classes, which is equipped with new furniture, computers, and interactive tools, and a photovoltaic power plant has been installed on the school roof. A gazebo and a greenhouse for planting plants have been built in the yard, which allows for outdoor classes and encourages students’ environmental awareness.

Third place went to the project ATTEND – “Supporting the realization of equal opportunities in education for students with disabilities”, implemented by CARNET with partners the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb (FER) and the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation, University of Zagreb (ERF), and the donor partner the City of Reykjavik. The project results include increasing the availability of assistive technology for 89.3% of students with disabilities, training 1,324 professionals and 2,170 students, equipping institutions, and developing new methodologies for working with children with disabilities.