Message from the STEM Association's President
Following is a message from the President of STEM Association:
I would like to emphasize the importance and significance of the National Educational Robotics and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Competition, which is fundamental to the progress of the educational community and society at large.
The competition offers students a unique opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical projects, enhancing skills such as problem solving, teamwork, and innovation. At the same time, it cultivates interest in science and technology, inspiring the younger generation to pursue careers in these fields.
Participation enhances students' creativity, critical thinking, self-confidence, and perseverance, as they are challenged to face and overcome challenges with real impact.
25 Years of Service and Innovation
For 25 years, our organization has been the only body working systematically to introduce educational robotics and STEM into Greek education, based on the following principles:
- De-commoditization of hardware and software, using open technologies such as Microbit, Arduino, Scratch, and MakeCode.
- Decentralization of the competition, with regional representatives and zero participation costs, making it unique worldwide at this level.
- Linking projects to the natural sciences, so that problem solving is based on scientific laws and incorporates new technologies.
- Promotion of the competition as a Greek educational initiative, in contrast to other imported competitions that promote specific material.
- Internationalizing the institution by creating the International STEM Contest (STEMATHLON), in which students from Southern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East participate.
Teacher Support
The creation of PORTAL (https://portal.stem.edu.gr/) offers free bilingual support and training to teachers, both in Greece and abroad, enhancing the quality and accessibility of the educational process.
Competition Theme: "From Human Intelligence to Artificial Intelligence"
From kindergarten to high school, students explore the transition:
- From human-controlled mechanical constructions,
- To simple automations without human intervention,
- To complex projects with sensors and data usage (IoT),
- And finally, to data management through Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The integration of sensors (environmental, physical, energy, etc.) allows interaction with the environment and confirmation of fundamental laws of Natural Sciences, leading to smart automation.
Main Focus: Human Being
This year's theme focuses on human beings and their basic needs: Food, Energy, Communication, Art, and Culture. Students are invited to create projects that offer solutions and improve everyday life, with the aim of autonomous operation through AI and scientific documentation.
There is an urgent need to support and promote such initiatives, as they are the foundation for the development of talented and innovative citizens who can contribute significantly to the progress of the country and the world.
Ioannis Somalakidis
Detailed Information for the Contest
Discover all the details about the contest theme, the educational benefits for all the participants, and how you can make the most of the Portal’s educational platform support for both students and teachers!
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Register for the WEBINARS!!
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Early Elementary Category
For ages 6-9
Teams of 6 students and a coach
Higher Elementary Category
For ages 8-11
Teams of 3-6 students
Middle School Category
For ages 12-15
Teams of 3-6 students
The team must research and gather information, build robotic systems and models, program them, and present the overall concept in a project aligned with the category’s theme. The overall system will consist of two parts: the main (autonomous) system, which will play an active role in the project, and the secondary (auxiliary) system, which will display the processed information. Among other functions, these systems must have the ability to collect real-time data, which, if necessary, will be processed in one of the two systems to extract reliable information.
Regular Category | Beginners
For ages 10-15
Teams of 2-3 students
Regular STEM is a challenge-based competition. Students must design, construct and program an autonomous robot to solve specific field challenges. Because the field is set up randomly each round, the robot needs to be able to make its own decisions during the run.
Football 2x2
For ages 6-9
Teams of 2-3 students
Football 2×2 is addressed to students of 1st - 4th grades of Primary School. In this game 2 rival alliances consisting of 2 remotely controlled robots each, chase a ball on a specially designed table (football field). The goal of each alliance is to win the game, scoring more goals than their opponents.
Competing as a team highlights the importance of cooperation.
3athlon
For ages 6-11 (Check the description for more Details about each category)
Teams of 2-3 students
3athlon is an innovative educational experience that brings educational robotics to the forefront as a vehicle for collaborative learning, strengthening social skills, and experiential engagement of children in modern STEM environments. Beyond the technological challenge, the competition is a pedagogical innovation: for the first time, every age group in elementary school is brought together in a common team with a specific role, through a model of collaboration and collective action.
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