The School of the Future Is Coming to JA Schools is an initiative developed in partnership with the Vodafone Foundation to expand opportunities for applied learning and to develop students' personal and digital skills.

Through the Junior Achievement Romania educational ecosystem, teachers can use the resources developed as part of The School of the Future program in their classrooms; these resources are available on scoaladinviitor.ro and integrated into the JA Learn™ platform. The activities provide students with a variety of contexts in which they can explore, experiment, and understand the digital world that is evolving alongside them.

PROJECT OBJECTIVE

Developing the digital skills of elementary and middle school students (ages 6-15) through access to interactive educational activities based on hands-on learning and aligned with the European Digital Competence Framework (DigComp).

REGISTRATION

To take advantage of the activities and opportunities offered through The School of the Future Is Coming to JA Schools project during the 2026-2027 school year, teachers in elementary and middle school are invited to sign an agreement to implement Junior Achievement Romania programs and projects by selecting JA’s Digital and STEM.

Go to JA HUB and sign the implementation agreement: https://jar.ro/jahub

EDUCATIONAL CONTENT

The activities of The School of the Future combine technology with games, hands-on exercises, collaboration, and problem-solving, giving students the opportunity to learn through exploration and teamwork.

The School of the Future content is integrated into the JA Learn™ platform through two courses: one for elementary school (grades 0-IV), and another for middle school (grades V-VIII), both of which provide teachers with activities that can be conducted in person, online, or in a hybrid format, focused on developing digital skills.

Through activities designed for elementary school students, students develop and practice not only teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills, but also knowledge related to media literacy, environmental protection, and combating cyberbullying, all within a context that fosters creativity and an innovative spirit.

The activities for middle school students offer content focused on emerging technologies, such as digital literacy (digital footprints, online friendships, identifying credible news), artificial intelligence (AI applications in various fields, exploring future careers in AI, ethics in the use of artificial intelligence), and robotics. These activities are designed to support the integration of new technologies and interdisciplinary content into school activities, preparing students for the challenges of a digital and sustainable future.

Educational activities are available to teachers in the Junior Achievement network who are enrolled in the Digital and STEM subject through the JA Learn™ e-learning platform.

Opportunities at the 5th edition

In addition to access to digital educational resources, the fifth edition of the project offers teachers further opportunities for learning and professional development. Teachers benefit from online information sessions, webinars for sharing best practices, and regional demo-style training sessions, during which they explore the activities available on the platform and identify ways to integrate them into their teaching.

The practical application of digital skills will also be encouraged through two Innovation Day events, designed for elementary and middle school students. During these events, students will work in teams to develop solutions to a challenge based on one of the “School of the Future” activities, with guidance from the Junior Achievement Romania team and volunteers from the Vodafone Romania Foundation.

Moreover, schools in rural and small urban areas will have the opportunity to participate in a competition through which they can obtain support to improve the conditions necessary for conducting digital education activities, thereby helping to increase students’ access to relevant and modern learning experiences.

The School of the Future methodology

The School of the Future methodology, which underlies these activities, was developed through collaboration between education and technology specialists at the University of Salamanca and is designed in accordance with the five areas of competence defined by the European DigComp framework, by establishing learning objectives tailored to each age group. The methodology promotes active learning, collaboration, and experimentation, fostering curiosity, creativity, and the responsible use of technology. At the same time, it seeks to strike a balance between digital and hands-on activities, encouraging the development of motor, cognitive, and social skills alongside the use of emerging technologies.

“The «School of the Future Is Coming to JA Schools» project was an excellent opportunity for professional development. The activities and resources provided gave me new ideas and practical tools, which I successfully integrated into my classroom. The project helped increase students’ interest and engagement, demonstrating how important it is to adapt education to the demands of the future.” – teacher, Marius Sandru Middle School, Resita

About the School of the Future project

The School of the Future is part of the Skills Upload Jr. program – an initiative of the Vodafone Foundations in several European countries, created to encourage educators and students to develop their critical thinking skills and use digital technologies creatively.

About Skills Upload Jr. Challenge

Also as part of the Skills Upload Jr. program, middle school students can participate in the Skills Upload Jr. Challenge, an international competition that challenges them to identify real-life problems in their own lives and communities and to work in teams to develop creative solutions, using technology as a tool to make a positive impact. The competition includes national rounds and a European round.

More information about the competition and the steps to participate is available on the Skills Upload Jr. Challenge page.

About Vodafone Foundation
For 28 years, we have been pooling our resources and those of our partners to build inclusive and sustainable projects together. We leverage technology and social innovation and invest in the development of disadvantaged communities in Romania. We modernize neonatal intensive care units and support digital education programs that prepare children and young people for the jobs of the future and help older adults avoid feeling excluded in an increasingly digital world. We are involved in initiatives to combat domestic violence and bullying. Since April 2016, together with other Vodafone foundations around the world, we have improved the lives of over 305 million people. We are a Romanian nongovernmental organization established in 1998 with charitable status, distinct from and independent of the commercial operations of Vodafone Romania. More details about our programs can be found at www.fundatia-vodafone.ro and www.facebook.com/fundatiavodafone.