The program “Robotics for Bulgaria” is inspired as an answer to the missing opportunity for early career orientation for youth in Bulgaria, as well for additional professional development for teachers in science and technology. It creates the opportunity for good education in IT as well developing long-lasting interest in the youth for STEM subjects. In the 8 years of the program more than 2500 students, 250 school teachers from 100+ schools in 55 cities and villages were part in the program.

We help school students in grades 5 till 12 to develop interest in science and technology, to acquire experience and skills to work as a team, to solve problems and to develop a scientific project. Their teachers also develop professional skills in robotics. We select teachers based on their motivation. In each year edition in the last years between 70 and 100 teams participate from the country. Around 200 students with their teachers compete on the finals in Sofia.

The main focus of the CSR policy in SAP is an accessible and good education and preparing the young generation with workable skills, thus the program “Robotics for Bulgaria” is developing long-lasting interest in youth in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and main skills to work in teams. The program started in 2015 with 34 teachers, 17 schools and 22 teams, about 100 kids and it reached to over 2500 students, 250 teachers, 100+ schools and 55 towns and villages in 8 years.

Program “Robotics for Bulgaria” provides: (1) training for teachers to become mentors of school teams, online support for the rules about First Lego League competitions, construction and programming the robot Lego Mindstorms, gathering information and analysis for the science project as well as support for working in a team and overall mentoring; (2) equipment for one team – programable Lego Mindstorms education 45544 and competition field; (3) everything to organize the competitions – regional and national; (4) online support for the teachers through the program. With the support of SAP teams construct and program their own robot that need to perform specific missions. Every year they have a scientific project based on a special social theme. The added value of the initiative is the acquired practical skills to work in teams. The initiative stimulates interest in science and technology and allows learning through experience. So far 1500 students from 5 till 10 grades participated. Part of the students that finish school and are now studying in the Universities remain connected to the programs and join as judges and volunteers in consecutive editions.

80 teams participated in 2023 and 30 of the best teams participated in the finals. Students learn to work in teams, they have to grasp the basics of mechanics through an experimental approach, program their robots with block-based programing language and discover the scientific research approach with exploration and developing a solution idea on a social topic. Teachers, in turn, learn how to be mentors who don't always know the exact answer, but support students to learn by doing. We are happy that in these STEM topics we have more than 40% of the participants are girls, we have also all girls' teams and teams with students from minority groups who are very successful.