Robots are conquering Croatian schools.
The Croatian education system is not in the best shape, and the state does not have the knowledge nor the will to improve it, so entrepreneur Nenad Bakić decided to do something about it. To encourage the development and acquisition of new skills among young people, Bakić in 2014 started the Croatian Makers project which donates robotics equipment to schools, reports Index.hr on February 29, 2016.
Part of this project is recently presented Croatian Makers League, which was met with great interest among students and launched a robotic revolution in the Croatian education system. At first, when the robotic league was first being contemplated – it is a competition in robotics through which students acquire new knowledge – it was planned to donate 200 robots to 30 schools, but the interest was much stronger.
Instead of raising the criteria for entering the competition, Bakić has decided to instead increase the number of robots to one thousand this year.
"When we started the league, we were thinking about a pilot year with 200 robots and 30 schools. Then we decided to 'go big', so we purchased 400 robots and planned for 50-60 schools and other institutions working with young people. After the presentation of the project, we were faced with a enormous amount of applications, so we could choose to be more restrictive or to increase the number of robots and participants. Finally, we increased the number of robots to one thousand. Which means that the project will include 166 schools and other institutions. Since we already have over 200 applications, we will still have to be selective. In any case, at least a thousand robots will remain in Croatian schools: it will be a unique platform which will allow huge synergies. The revolution has begun. And this is just the beginning", wrote Bakić on website Croatianmakers.hr.
Bakić added that the goal of the project was to enable young people to develop their potential in spite of the subpar educational system. "The Croatian school system is dysfunctional in the short and possibly medium term. My idea was to use this initiative to allow many young people to develop themselves in spite of the system, and over time this could change the system 'from below'", said Bakić.
Croatian Makers project can be supported by all interested donors. Cash donations will be used exclusively for the purchase of robotic equipment. "We enable many young people to learn about robotics, automation and coding, and give them the opportunity to engage in modern trends. We want the children to develop the skills, knowledge, willingness to learn and a sense of success from an early age", writes the Croatian Makers website.
