eduACT

The main aim for this initiative was to engage Roma Children in the educational process, in the context of the European Coding Week, in the span of 10 - 25 of October, so as to ensure social cohesion through the organization's activity for the provision of education for children of vulnerable social groups such as roma children as well as their smooth introduction in the society though technological empowerment with the goal of eradicating social exclusion and racism towards these social groups.

The target audience of the initiative is Roma children aged 5-12 years old.

This initiative for 'Faros tou Kosmou' lasted from 10 - 25 of October, exactly as long as the European Coding Week.

At the foundation for Roma children “Faros tou Kosmou” the team that was created by Roma children participated in the initiative  “Alphabet in Binary Code: the alphabet in Binary Code - the Binary Alphabet ” in the European Coding week in order to engage actively and familiarize with basic coding elements. For the whole span of the European Coding Week, the educational team focused on activities based on coding principles. As a result of these activities, the students of  “Faros tou Kosmou” crafted a bracelet using beads that spelled the child’s name in a dual system based on this very basic computer function. This way, each child learned to spell their name in dual numbering. Through this initiative, children had the opportunity to come in contact with algorithmic thinking which constitutes the basis on which programming is based, but is also a tool in the hands of students for the resolution of everyday problems of different nature. The initiative was presented in a video conference with the honorary participation of the Minister of Education and Religious Affairs. Present were also the Chair of Board and President of Eduact Mr. Kostas Vasileiou, the founder of “Faros tou Kosmou” Archimandrite Athenagoras Loukataris as well as volunteers Paraskevas Selim and Eleana Fotiadou. 

In the context of the strategic partnership that we have been building with great stakeholders and organizations relevant to new technologies, our organization, “EduACT- Education Unlimited” cooperated with the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, where through the Ministry’s educational programs Eduact worked on the creation of educational material relevant to the development of soft skills, digital skills, and science, on the subjects of robotics and coding. Thus, for this initiative, we decided to suggest the participation of the Minister of Education and Religious Affairs herself, an invitation which she accepted greeting and congulating us for this initiative. Regarding the implementation of the program, it was executed by the foundation and the Roma children of “Faros tou Kosmou” which is located in Dendropotamos Thessaloniki and engages Roma children in different creative activities, such as robotics and coding. 

This initiative enjoyed the participation of employees of the organization but also volunteers that helped and reinforced the initiatie practically. A five member committee took upon the gathering of the educational material of the initiative but also the guidance of the volunteers of “Faros tou Kosmou” who facilitated the program. The type of support offered by the organization to the volunteers was such that encouraged them to operate autonomously in the educational process. Moreover, for the successful participation of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs in the video conference that took place, the IT department of Eduact, as well as Senior Project managers were involved.

The location of the initiative was the settlement of Dendropotamos which belongs to the Municipality of Ampelokipi-Menemeni and more specifically the organization for Roma children “Faros tou Kosmou”.

The results of the initiative as well as its effects on the target audience of the initiative was catalytic. The benefits for Roma children were multiple and related to the successful participation in the educational process with the acquisition of soft and life skills that revolve around new technologies with the engagement of basic principles of coding through play. This way, in a very innovative and fun way coding, is being introduced to younger ages. Moreover, through this initiative, we manage to disseminate and promote technological knowledge to vulnerable social groups aiming at their smooth and uninterrupted introduction to society with all the necessary technological tools needed in their later on life. Lastly, through this initiative, we offer Roma children the opportunity to feel like members of a greater social group, the European family, where simultaneously, through the European Coding Week children from all over Greece worked alongside other children from around Europe. 

The benefits that Eduact reaps from this initiative are multiple. Firstly, the project enhances the Organization's profile which we aim at broadening through initiatives for offering all children, regardless of origin or ethnicity, access to digital literacy. This way our motto for 'Education Unlimited' becomes a reality seeing Roma children actively participating in our projects.  Moreover, in an area like Dendropotamos, where school leaving is great, we managed to offer digital literacy and technological education through creative and fun activities that heighten the children's interest in learning. Lastly, the benefits can also be determined by the number of Roma children participants, which reached 50.