Forget dusty textbooks. This year, some of the newest classmates in our partner schools have wheels, light up in colour, and do exactly what they’re told (well, most of the time). Thanks to the Coding&Codoing project, the schools of our partner FISM Parma have equipped themselves with brand-new resources to bring coding activities to their children. And coding isn’t just for tech geniuses in hoodies: it’s a way of thinking, breaking big problems into small steps, testing ideas, getting it wrong, and trying again.
The goal was simple: spend smart, not just spend. Before buying anything, every school’s existing equipment was checked, so that schools starting from scratch could get a complete starter pack while those already equipped could get upgrades to take things further. No duplicates, no gadgets gathering dust in a cupboard. The starter squad brings together Sphero Indi, a friendly first step programmed with coloured cards, Cubetto+, for screen-free coding with tiles children can hold in their hands, and Botley 2.0, the team player that lets several groups code side by side. For schools ready to level up, the Intelino Smart Train puts coding on the rails, while Ozobot EVO, a tiny robot with a huge range, takes kids from pen-and-paper colour codes all the way to real programming.
Every robot was chosen for a reason: it fits the children’s age, lets them progress step by step, and gets them working together. The result? Kids who learn to think logically, solve problems creatively, and collaborate with their classmates, all while having a lot of fun. Smart choices, smart robots, smarter kids. Not a bad way to spend a budget.