MegaMission is a nationwide educational programme for primary schools. It can be carried out during lessons, additional classes or in after-school clubs. It is addressed to kids of grades 1 to 3 and their teachers. We aim to enhance knowledge and digital competence of teachers and afterschool educators and their pupils. We want children to be safe and conscious multimedia users, and we want their teachers to have access to proven materials which they can use to deliver modern classes. MegaMission provides a solid basis for wisely and safely navigating the world in which we can no longer function without technology. Due to the closure of schools and the need to support teachers, the programme was modified to include a number of additional webinars for teachers to assist them in coping with the remote education challenges.
Orange Foundation
The activity of the Orange Foundation, which pursues social goals on behalf of the Orange Polska Group, has been defined in its Strategy for 2021–2023. It provides for the pursuit of digital education and digital inclusion goals through longterm social programmes based on accurate identification of social needs and expectations. The Orange Foundation’s key initiatives include MegaMission, #SuperCoders and Orange Studios, which are complemented by the corporate volunteering programme and activities for the safe use of new technologies by children and young people. The strategy is a follow-up of the long-term programmes implemented in previous years.
#SuperCoders is a nationwide educational programme aimed at primary school students of grades 4 to 8. Its key element is learning the skill of programming in an innovative manner, as it takes place during science, mathematics, history, music or Polish language classes rather than IT classes. All teaching materials have been based on the Polish school curriculum. Young #SuperCoders develop teamwork skills, creativity and logical thinking. A separate path has been launched for children with special educational needs. The teachers participating in the programme are offered professional training and technical support by expert educators. Due to the closure of schools, an additional series of remote classes for children, ‘Mornings with #SuperCoders’, was introduced.
Lesson:Enter is a nationwide digital education programme addressed to teachers and aimed to enhance their digital skills. Over 75,000 teachers (15% from each region of Poland) will be trained in 2020–2023. The programme prepares teachers to use activating teaching methods. They learn how to use educational websites and portals, e-resources and various applications in a responsible and creative way, while observing safety precautions. Training includes a hands-on component, in which teachers create their own digital content for future use during their lessons. The programme is carried out in conjunction with the Information Society Development Foundation and Institute of Public Affairs. It is implemented in the re-granting scheme by in-service teacher training centres in collaboration with local governments or nongovernmental organisations. In 2021, we provided financial and technical support to 99 grant projects. The programme was joined by 4,990 schools, and 39,616 teachers began their training. The programme is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund in the Digital Poland Operational Programme with almost PLN 49 million.
In order to facilitate access to information, knowledge and technology among local communities, we have developed Orange Studios. Orange Studios are public multimedia studios in small towns and villages, which we create and help to manage. Their purpose is to provide members of the local community with access to new technologies, courses and workshops. The studio leaders are provided with professional training and financial aid to help them manage these modern and attractive meeting places. To date, we have set up a total of 100 Orange Studios across the country. The Orange Studio leaders can use an on-line knowledge-sharing platform, which features a portfolio of readyto-implement projects and a gamification module that uses game mechanisms to build social skills and motivate residents to work for the benefit of their neighbourhoods. The initiatives carried out in Orange Studios are aimed at different groups, of which children are the largest. In 2021, the equipment in 15 studios was replaced (in total, 34 studios received new equipment in 2020–2021). In addition, a makerspace (i.e. a space supporting the use of new technologies in the DIY approach) was launched in 5 Orange Studios (in total, 10 makerspaces are already functional).
Furthermore, there are FabLabs (fabrication laboratories) in two cities, Warsaw and Gdańsk. These are open studios for people who want to learn how to use modern technologies in a creative way. FabLabs offer support by experienced educators, professional equipment and free workshops for adults, young people and children. FabLab in Gdańsk carried out a project supporting women in the labour market (second edition). A total of 2,341 people attended free workshops and social projects in FabLabs in 2021.
