Our Afterschool Geekery network has started in Hungary, where disadvantaged, mainly refugee and Roma children learn digital literacy, the most important tool of the modern age. While programming and robotics are part of the everyday curriculum in many elite schools, these children have no chance to access these skills. We started to expand the network in North-East Hungary, South-East Slovakia and Carpathian Basin because this is one of the regions in Europe with the highest density of Roma and has always been a rather poor area. Donor: ELCA – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
In Hungary, 35 mentors have already completed the FGHD mentor training and this year 10 Afterschool Geekery have already started training children in Scratch programming and robotics. We are now expanding our Afterschool Geekery network in Hungary, continuing the work already started in Ukraine and now we have the possibility to implement this programme in Slovakia. With the help of partner organisations and country managers, we are working on doubling the number of mentors by January 2024 and they will soon start teaching in schools. By the end of summer next year, at least 150 Roma children in all three countries will have the opportunity to learn in Afterschool Geekeries.
Our aim is to expand our Afterschool Geekery programme to other countries, because our experience shows that it not only develops digital literacy itself, but also problem-solving skills, maths, and gives children an excellent tool to tell the stories in their souls to professionals. Last but not least, we show them a world that gives them a chance for a better life.