The Programme and Robotics Clubs Network, set up in 2018, stems from the recognition that only a solid training and qualification of human resources in STEM (science, technology, mathematics, engineering) will ensure an increase in the employability and professional success of young people, on the one hand, and the levels of innovation and competitiveness of regional enterprises on the other. To date, the government has made a total investment of EUR 306.000,00 in the Programming and Robotics Clubs.
The participation of students in these educational spaces enables them to have access to new areas of technological sciences, improve problem-solving capacity, experiment and develop new learning, and even develop skills to work as a group.
The aim of the Programme and Robotics Network is to promote scientific literacy among young people of school age and to develop citizenship by promoting digitally-oriented pedagogies. The clubs are located in reference school laboratories in the field of STEM in general and in the areas of IT, robotics and programming in particular.
The network is currently composed of 38 clubs supported by DRCTD, distributed by schools in public education (32); University of Azores (1) and vocational schools (5).
As part of this project, the Azores rely on:
- Clubs on all islands
- Clubs in 18 out of 19 municipalities
- 97 teachers involved
- 935 students enrolled in clubs
- 219 actions carried out by the clubs
The Network of Programming and Robotics started with the implementation of the pilot project for the creation and consolidation of Robotics Clubes in 6 schools of the RAA (Manuel de Arriaga School, Basic and Secondary Schools of Santa Maria and the Flores, Integrated Basic School of Angra do Heroísmo, Secondary School of Laranjeiras and the School of New Technologies of the Azores — ENTA).