The “Točka” Association is the lead partner of the STEMAFOR project (Ref: SF.2.4.06.04.0071), implemented in partnership with the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Rijeka and five educational institutions.
Running from March 21, 2025, to March 21, 2028, the initiative aims to bring science, technology, engineering, and mathematics closer to children and students through practical, innovative, and age-tailored STEM content.
The project is 85% co-funded by the European Union through the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), with the remaining 15% co-financed by the State Budget of the Republic of Croatia via the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.
The Faculty of Engineering as an Expert Partner
The Faculty of Engineering at the University of Rijeka plays a key role in the project, sharing its technical knowledge, academic experience, and expert capacity to improve the quality of STEM activities.
A big part of the partnership includes training and mentoring for the people running the workshops. The goal is to help staff and volunteers learn new STEM skills that they can apply in their work with children and students.
The training programme started with introductory sessions on “Acoustics of Vibrating Elastic Bodies” and “Statistics: Discover the Power of Numbers!”, followed by other sessions & topics covering various areas of modern science and technology:
• Acoustics of Vibrating Elastic Bodies
• Statistics: Discover the Power of Numbers!
• Assistive Technology for Children with Developmental Disabilities
• 3D Printing
• Mobile App Development for Android and iOS
• Cybersecurity: Protecting Your Online World
• Drones
Alongside formal instruction, ongoing mentoring sessions allow staff and volunteers to expand their skills, share ideas and figure out simple, interesting ways to explain technical concepts to children and students during STEM workshops.
This creates a clear bridge between university-level knowledge and everyday work with children and youth.
Ongoing Collaboration
Upcoming training sessions will focus on popular new STEM fields such as “Artificial Intelligence Around Us: How Chatbots and Generative AI Tools Work,” robotics, and practical workshops on Arduino-based embedded systems.
By uniting the “Točka” Association, the Faculty of Engineering, and local schools, the partnership continues to connect technical expertise with hands-on learning – ensuring that a high-quality STEM education is accessible to children and students.
The STEMAFOR project runs until March 2028. It will offer numerous free workshops, public events, and other STEM-related activities.
For additional information, activity schedules and sign-up details please visit the official website: stemafor.udrugatocka.hr.
