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Six schools successfully completed projects in the ROBOTICS 2026 grant call. Modern technical education does not start only in companies. It starts in schools that can offer students the kinds of technologies they will encounter in their future employment.

With the aim of supporting the modernization of technical education and the development of practical skills of high school students in the Žilina Region, the Kia Slovakia Foundation is implementing the ROBOTICS grant scheme for the second year. Under the current call, six schools received support in a total amount of 300 421,45 €.

Investment in the future of the region

The support was not intended solely for the purchase of technologies. Its goal was to create conditions for schools to prepare young people for the changing demands of the labor market in the long term, develop technical fields of study, and strengthen cooperation with industrial practice.

Thanks to the support, new robotic laboratories and specialized classrooms were created, and schools were equipped with modern industrial robots, software, and teaching aids. An equally important part of the projects was the training of educators, the modification of curricula, and the creation of conditions for the long-term development of technical education.

Support was awarded to:

• Secondary Industrial School of Information Technologies and Gymnasium in Kysucké Nové Mesto,
• Ignác Gessay Secondary Industrial School of Information Technologies, Forestry Secondary Vocational School, and Gymnasium in Tvrdošín, 
• Transport Secondary Vocational School in Martin, 
• Polytechnic Secondary Vocational School in Ružomberok, 
• Polytechnical Secondary Vocational School in Dolný Kubín, 
• Combined School in Nižná. 

Each of the schools utilized the support according to its needs and focus. New robotics classrooms were created, specialized workplaces were modernized, and opportunities for practical STEM education were expanded. The common denominator of all projects is modern teaching that connects theoretical knowledge with practical experience and brings students closer to the real environment of today's manufacturing companies.

At the same time, the significance of the projects extends beyond the schools themselves. Primary school pupils will also use the new laboratories during outreach activities, and several schools plan to organize workshops for the public, educator training, and expand cooperation with regional employers. Thus, the investment creates space for the development of technical education throughout the entire region while strengthening the connection between schools and practice.

The second annual ROBOTIKA grant call showed that modern technical education is not created just by purchasing new technologies. It develops where quality technical equipment, prepared teachers, and schools that want to open new opportunities for their students are interconnected. It is precisely such an environment that the Kia Slovakia Foundation has been helping to create in the Žilina Region for a long time. 

The projects were funded through a portion of the taxes paid (2 %).

Gallery

Ten kindergartens successfully implemented projects in the KÚTIKY 2026 grant program 

Curiosity, creativity, and a desire to explore are a natural part of childhood. The KÚTIKY grant program creates spaces in kindergartens where children can develop through play, creation, and hands-on experience.  

The Kia Slovakia Foundation has been implementing the KÚTIKY grant program since 2019 with the aim of supporting the development of technical thinking and practical skills in children during pre-primary education. Since its inception, a total of 63 kindergartens have been supported through the program. Through the program, nursery schools receive support to create a stimulating environment that offers children new opportunities for exploration, experimentation, and practical activities.

Learning through personal experience 

Thanks to the support, kindergartens are creating spaces and supplementing their equipment with tools that motivate children to try, construct, create, and find their own solutions. Through play, they naturally develop technical thinking, manual skills, creativity, cooperation, and the ability to solve simple problems. 

An important principle of the program is learning through direct experience. Children can work with various materials and aids, explore how things work, connect different contexts, and turn their ideas into concrete creations. 

In 2026, 10 kindergartens in the Žilina Region received support: 

• Municipality of Podvysoká, 
• Primary School with Kindergarten, Lokca 
• Kindergarten, Čajakova, Žilina, 
• Elementary School with Kindergarten, Vyšný Koniec, Čierne 
• Elementary School with Kindergarten, Makov 
• Primary School with Kindergarten, Hurbanova, Martin 
• Elementary School with Kindergarten, Predmier  
• Kindergarten, Fojstvo, Raková 
• Primary School with Kindergarten, Dlhá nad Kysucou  
• Primary School with Kindergarten, Školská Street, Konská 

The funds provided by the Kia Slovakia Foundation for the implementation of projects come from a portion of taxes paid (2 %). 

The Kia Slovakia Foundation, in cooperation with certified behavioral analyst Mgr. Zuzana Hollá, is preparing a two-day professional training for educators and professional staff of special schools in the Žilina Region, which will bring practical tools and strategies for working with children with special needs.

The training will take place on July 7–8, 2026, at the New Synagogue in Žilina and will focus on the practical application of the principles of applied behavior analysis in the school environment. Participants will acquire concrete tools and strategies that can be used in their daily work with children with special needs.

The program will include topics such as effective teaching, supporting student cooperation, organization of teaching, setting goals, and managing challenging behavior.

Organizational information

Thanks to the support of the Kia Slovakia Foundation, education is free of charge for pedagogical and professional staff. Participation is conditional upon completion registration form.

Kia Slovakia Foundation organized in cooperation with a certified behavioral analyst Mgr. Zuzana Hollá two-day professional training for pedagogical and professional staff of special schools in the Žilina Region, which brought practical tools and strategies for working with children with special needs.

The training, attended by 57 male and female educators from 11 special schools, focused on the practical application of the principles of applied behavior analysis in the school environment. Participants acquired concrete tools and strategies applicable in their daily work with children with special needs. The program included topics such as effective teaching, promoting student cooperation, lesson organization, goal setting, and managing challenging behavior.