The Erasmus+ PRAISE project ‘Programming, Robotics, and AI Skills for Educators-in-training’ has reached a significant milestone. Between 11-14 May 2026, project partners gathered at Fundación Flors in Vila-real, Spain, for an intensive Learning, Teaching, and Training Activity (LTTA) focused on integrating computational thinking into early childhood and primary education.
The four-day training event showcased a comprehensive, developmentally staged pedagogical roadmap designed to take young learners from ‘touch to code’. Participants observed and analyzed classroom implementations spanning ages 3-11, including:
• Preschool (ages 3-5): embodied logic and unplugged grid activities alongside introductory floor-robotics (Bee-Bot) to support early literacy and numeracy.
• Lower Primary (ages 6-7): visual sequencing and pattern recognition using unplugged loop concepts and tangible control-board coding with Matatalab.
• Middle Primary (ages 8-9): block-based coding using mBlock and conditional logic with Codey Rocky robots to explore interdisciplinary themes like emotional expression.
• Upper Primary (ages 10-11): advanced automation with LEGO Spike, alongside introductory AI frameworks, with Teachable Machine, and prompt engineering.
The event highlighted the immense value of ‘unplugged’ kinesthetic methods to build robust mental models before students transition to screens, ensuring digital literacy is deeply embedded across core curriculum subjects.
We Need Your Input: Participate in Our Research Survey!
As part of Work Package 2, the PRAISE consortium is currently mapping out the baseline of digital competencies, existing training gaps, and technological needs of educators in Cyprus and across Europe.
Are you a teacher, educator, or teacher-in-training (University Student)? Your insights are vital to shaping an open-access curriculum, practical activity guides, and video tutorial modules that will directly support the next generation of classrooms.
We invite you to take a few minutes to complete our project survey.
TO TAKE PART IN THE SURVEY CLICK HERE
Project Social Media Channels
Facebook: Praise Project
Instagram: Praiseproject.eu
Project Information
Project No: 2025-1-CY01-KA220-HED-000357824
Start date: 01/10/2025
End date: 30/11/2027
EC Contribution: 250,000 EUR
If you have any questions or would like to get involved, please contact the Project’s Coordinator, Ms Annita Charalambous at Charalambous.annita@unic.ac.cy
Consortium
University of Nicosia, Cyprus, Coordinator
University of Patras, Greece
University Politechnica Bucharest, Romania
Fundación Flors, Spain
Associació Meraki Projectes de València, Spain
Disclaimer:
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. (Grant Agreement No: 2025-1-CY01-KA220-HED-000357824)