HT's seventh Generation NOW will be about green technologies

28.3.2023

Hrvatski Telekom continues to invest in the STEM knowledge of young generations throughout Croatia
142 educational institutions participate in the program in which more than 2,700 children and young people developed their knowledge
The theme of this year's program is 'Green technologies' and connecting technology and sustainability

The seventh Generation NOW, a national education program for children and youth organized by Hrvatski Telekom in cooperation with the Institute for Youth Development and Innovation (IRIM) is starting today.

The theme of this year's program is 'Green technologies' and how to connect technology with sustainability. Teams participating will design and create a project on a given topic using sets of STEM equipment donated by Hrvatski Telekom to educational institutions. They will also have expert mentoring support from the Institute for Youth Development and Innovation (IRIM) for the entire program.

142 educational institutions will participate in Generation NOW, including secondary and elementary schools, associations, and other institutions that promote STEM knowledge and development for the future of crucial skills. The program is held with the institutional support of the Ministry of Science and Education.

"We are proud that the Generation NOW program attracts many children, young people, and educational institutions year after year and that it is an opportunity for many of them to gain experience and develop practical and useful STEM knowledge. This year's theme, 'Green Technology,' is extremely close to us because, as a company, we foster sustainable development and are dedicated to protecting the environment. We look forward to seeing many interesting solutions from young minds that surprise us with their creativity every year," said Igor Vukasović, director of the Corporate Communications Department at Hrvatski Telekom and the Jury's president.

The project's goal is to provide the most recent forms of education to young people so that they develop their creativity and innovation with the help of the latest technology. In addition to the equipment, Hrvatski Telekom provides all participants with free internet access with free data traffic.

"The collaboration of IRIM and Hrvatski Telekom on the Generation NOW project led to the largest educational Internet of Things project, through which more than 500 mentors have been educated so far, who pass their knowledge on to new generations of students year after year. Through the project, students acquire competencies in digital technologies, problem-solving, teamwork, and presentation skills and become creators of their own technology solutions in response to challenges in their environments. I am looking forward to seeing the green tech creations that student teams will design this year", said Paolo Zenzerović, IRIM's executive director and one of the educators in the project.

This year's Jury comprising the following members will evaluate projects:

Igor Vukasović, director of the Corporate Communications Department at Hrvatski Telekom and president of the Jury
Dejan Donev, director of Digital Banking Sector at Erste banka
Boris Drilo, member of the Management Board and CTIO at Hrvatski Telekom
Gordan Gledec, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing
Josipa Majić, co-founder of fintech Revuto
Mislav Malenica, founder and director at AI startup Mindsmiths and president of CroAI Association
Mato Njavro, dean of Zagreb School of Economics and Management
Paolo Zenzerović, executive director at the Institute for Youth Development and Innovation