Eng – about SmartLabs

The objective of the SmartLabs is to support and promote IT-related afterschool activities among the youth in order to improve IT awareness and increase the number of youth choosing to study science or IT. In a long term perspective, it enables to increase the number of IT specialists in Estonia ja decrease unemployment among the youth.

  • A public-private partnership project between Microsoft Estonia, Telia and the NGO Look@World Foundation in Estonia.
  • SmartLabs focus on IT and science related afterschool activities for youth at the age of 10 -19.
  • Junior SmartLabs (Jänku-Jussi NutiLabor) focuses on teaching robotics using Lego We Do for kids aged 5-10. We have created a special study material in Estonian for those SmartLabs.

Our milestones:
2012/2013

  • Initiated in 2012/2013 school year, more than 600 youth participated in SmartLabs. 36 SmartLabs across Estonia worked in the Estonian, Russian and Seto language.

2013/2014

  • In 2013/2014 school year , 24 SmartLabs worked across Estonia and over 400 youth participated.
  • In addition to SmartLabs we ran 2 5-day SmartLabs summer-campswhere over 70 kids took place.
  • We had an Estonian-wide idea-competition NutiVõitlus – kids were asked imagine how the future will look like thanks to ICT and create a 1 minute video. Almost 200 works were submitted.

2014/2015

  • In 2014/2015 school year, we currently run 30 SmartLabs and this number is growing! Kids follow a curriculum for the whole academic year.
  • In 2014/2015 we started SmartLabs for juniors (most of the kids are aged 5-10) “Jänku-Jussi NutiLabor” is based on a popular Estonian cartoon-character. We have currently 20 junior SmartLabs where kids learn robotics using Lego We Do.
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  • In 2014 we had SmartLabs roadshow – all over Estonia we had almost 30 free workshops (robotics, Scratch, mobile app development, 3D modelling). The aim was to introduce the topics to kids who normally don’t take part in ICT-related after school clubs.
  • SmartLabs were part of EU Code Week – we organised a programming competition for adults and children based on Angry Birds coding game. We also translated a programming game “Run, Marco” into Estonian.
  • Our SmartLabs take part in First Lego League and Junior First Lego League.

In 2015/2016 

  • Up to 130 SmartLabs planned.
  • Approximately 5000 kids/teenagers engaged in ICT-activities

Activities in SmartLabs include:

  • Web designing, programming, 3D modeling, etc.
  • Computer engineering, robotics, electronics
  • Science
  • Creating mobile applications

About Estonia

  • Population 1,3 million.
  • Member of European Union since 2004
  • Strong focus on information technology
  • Most “wired” country in Europe. Extraordinary e-Governance.
  • Birthplace of Skype.

For more information ask kari (at)vaatamaailma.ee