The School for Students with Visual Impairments "Veljko Ramadanović" in Zemun has recently received modern equipment that will help visually impaired students learn creatively and more easily. During today's visit from representatives of NCR Voyix and the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation, which partnered with the NCR Foundation to donate the equipment, students demonstrated the donated TactiPad drawing tablet, the Build-A-Cell biology kit, and Geomag EKO panels. In addition to this equipment, a printer for self-adhesive labels in Braille, as well as didactic aids for chemistry and physics, were also donated.
"The donated equipment is modern and provides a new perspective on learning natural sciences for children with visual impairments," said Milica Cvetinović, a mathematics teacher.
As part of the "Education for the Digital Economy" project, implemented by the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation and the NCR Foundation in collaboration with the Center for the Promotion of Science, nine high schools across Serbia were selected to receive equipment for maintaining modern teaching and extracurricular activities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
"The NCR Foundation is dedicated to projects related to STEM education because we believe it is key to future development. Our collaboration with the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation in Serbia is of great importance. We are proud to contribute to the 'Education for the Digital Economy' project and provide better education throughout Serbia. Today's donation is especially important as it helps children with visual impairments overcome everyday school challenges," said Stefan Lazarević, Vice President of Global Operations at NCR Voyix and General Director of NCR Voyix for Serbia.
Thanks to donations worth 3.1 million dinars (around USD 29,000), more than 5,000 students in schools in Novi Pazar, Subotica, Požarevac, Pirot, Zemun, Ruski Krstur, Pančevo, Kraljevo, and Belgrade now have access to a better quality STEM education.
"For several consecutive years, we have been implementing this project, and unlike previous years when primarily general high schools and technical schools received STEM education equipment, this year the commission selected nine vocational schools out of 124 submitted applications that urgently need modern equipment for daily teaching," said Ana Košel, Director of the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation.
In addition to acquiring the aforementioned equipment, the "Education for the Digital Economy" project also includes science camps and caravans aimed at enhancing students' knowledge and interest in STEM disciplines. Furthermore, 120 participants wishing to take their first steps into the IT world had the opportunity to complete a free requalification course at the non-profit IT Bootcamp school.
By providing modern school equipment, enhancing teachers' skills, informing, motivating, and guiding students towards STEM disciplines, as well as offering free requalification, the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation and the NCR Foundation, as part of the "Education for the Digital Economy" project, help students acquire the skills necessary for future professions and to functionally apply knowledge throughout their further education and professional development.