The first winners of the EU Code Week Small Grants for Grassroots in Coding in the Nordic region have been officially announced, bringing fresh inspiration, creativity and innovation to classrooms and communities across Europe.

Led by the European Centre for Women and Technology (ECWT), the Nordic Regional Hub has selected three outstanding projects that showcase the power of grassroots initiatives to make coding and digital skills more accessible, engaging and inclusive.

A new initiative to grow digital skills across Europe

The EU Code Week Small Grants programme is designed to support local initiatives that promote coding, computational thinking and digital creativity, particularly among young people. With a strong focus on inclusion, the programme aims to inspire more girls and boys to explore STEM and STEAM pathways and consider future careers in digital.

The Nordic call, open from 7 November 2025 to 12 January 2026, attracted highly competitive applications from across all five Nordic countries. Following a rigorous evaluation process assessing feasibility, impact, scalability and innovation, three projects stood out.

1st Place: Niilo Napakettu (Nilo the Snowfox)

Led by leading teacher Jaana Hekkanen and the Napakettu Team at Hiukkavaara Comprehensive School in Oulu, Finland, this winning project brings coding to life through storytelling.

By introducing children to Nilo the Snowfox, a much-loved character, the project blends narrative and coding to spark curiosity and creativity among pre-primary and primary learners. Children engage in problem-solving and logical thinking while immersing themselves in imaginative stories, making coding both accessible and enjoyable from an early age.

This approach demonstrates how story-based learning can transform coding education into something meaningful, memorable and fun.

2nd Place: Mother & Daughter Evening on Artificial Intelligence

Organised by High5Girls and led by Marianne Andersen in Frederiksberg/Copenhagen, Denmark, this initiative takes a unique and powerful approach by engaging not just girls, but also their mothers.

Recognising the important role parents play in shaping educational choices, the project creates a shared learning experience where families explore artificial intelligence together. Through hands-on activities and discussions, participants learn how AI works, while also addressing topics such as bias, stereotypes and career pathways.

By combining education with meaningful conversation and a touch of Danish hygge, this initiative helps build confidence, awareness and support systems for girls considering futures in tech.

3rd Place: CodeClub Online

Developed by leading teachers Anu Kahri and Hanne Ritala in Finland, CodeClub Online offers a flexible and scalable solution for coding education.

The project will deliver remote coding lessons for pupils aged 6 to 13, alongside ready-to-use teaching materials for educators. With a strong focus on creativity, students will develop their own projects while applying coding to real-world and imaginative scenarios.

Its modular design makes it easy to replicate across different countries and educational settings, supporting long-term impact within the EU Code Week community and encouraging stronger engagement with STEAM subjects.

What happens next?

All three projects will be implemented between 1 February and mid-May 2026, bringing their ideas to life in classrooms, communities and online spaces.

These initiatives highlight the strength of grassroots innovation, showing how creative, local approaches can drive meaningful change in digital education across Europe.

To follow the winning projects and learn more, visit the ECWT website

Get involved in EU Code Week

EU Code Week welcomes activities all year round. Whether you are a teacher, parent, student or organisation, you can organise your own activity and help inspire the next generation of digital creators.

Explore resources, ideas and upcoming opportunities on the Code Week website, and do not forget to register your activities to be part of the growing community.

The post Inspiring Young Minds: EU Code Week Small Grants Nordic Winners Announced appeared first on Code Week.

We created this session especially for educators who would like to go one step further after downloading the CodyColorKIT. It offers a dedicated space to share first attempts, ask practical questions, and clarify any doubts directly with the people who designed and tested CodyColor over the years. Whether you are just getting started or already experimenting with activities, this informal online meeting is designed to help you turn the resource into something that really works in your classroom, in your own context, and with your own learners.

Mentoring session – CodyColorKIT with Alessandro Bogliolo and Veronica Ruberti

Date: 15 April 2026
Time: 17:00 to 18:00 (CET)
Format: Online Q&A and peer exchange

To participate, please complete the online registration form. By filling in the form, you confirm your participation and will receive the access link for the session.

Register for the mentoring session

If you are just getting started…

A ready-to-use unplugged resource for teaching computational thinking

CodyColorKIT is a new EU Code Week Teacher Training Resource designed to help educators introduce computational thinking and basic programming concepts through play, with no devices required. Building on CodyColor, a well-established unplugged game from the Italian Code Week community, the kit turns a simple idea into a complete, classroom-friendly experience available to teachers across Europe.

What is CodyColorKIT?

CodyColorKIT is a structured collection of unplugged activities that use grids, colours, and simple rules to simulate how a computer follows instructions. Through movement, discussion, and collaborative problem-solving, learners explore core ideas of computer science in a tangible and inclusive way.

With CodyColorKIT, students learn to read and follow simple algorithms, give clear step-by-step instructions, identify and correct errors through (debugging), and reason together while collaborating on shared challenges.

What’s inside the resource

On the dedicated CodyColorKIT page, educators can find everything needed to get started:

• a printable kit with all the game elements;
• step-by-step guidelines to set up and facilitate activities;
• ready-made sequences adaptable to different ages and subjects;
• suggestions on how to connect CodyColor to EU Code Week events and other STEM projects.

The materials support both newcomers and experienced educators. Each activity is accompanied by clear instructions, tips for classroom management, and prompts for debriefing with learners.

Explore the CodyColorKIT resource

Why use CodyColorKIT?

CodyColorKIT is designed as a practical bridge between computer science concepts and everyday classroom realities:

• Accessible: No programming background is required. The resource supports teachers and educators who are approaching coding and computational thinking for the first time.
• Flexible: Activities can be adapted to various age groups, class sizes, and learning environments, including schools, libraries, makerspaces, and youth centres.
• Inclusive: Unplugged formats and collaborative dynamics make it easier to involve students with different learning styles and prior experiences, including those who may be less confident with digital tools.
• Transferable: The same core ideas can be reused in multiple contexts, from local workshops to international projects such as eTwinning, Erasmus+, and other cross-border networks.

Because CodyColor is colour-based, it is particularly suited to multilingual groups and international collaboration. Teachers can co-design activities with colleagues from other countries and run parallel CodyColor sessions during joint initiatives.

A European evolution of a community practice

In Italy, CodyColor has long been a familiar name within the EU Code Week ecosystem, thanks to the work of its author, EU Code Week Ambassador Alessandro Bogliolo, and the contributions of teachers, Leading Teachers, and local communities. With CodyColorKIT, this practice takes a step forward and becomes an international resource, accessible in English to educators across Europe.

The kit captures years of experimentation in schools and educational spaces and makes it available in a structured, reusable format. It recognises the contribution of teachers who have tested and refined CodyColor activities in real classrooms, while offering a common reference point for future adaptations and innovations.

If you have already downloaded the resource, this mentoring session is a great opportunity to deepen your understanding, exchange ideas with peers, and gain practical guidance directly from the people behind CodyColorKIT.

Save your place here

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Across Europe, digital technologies shape how we work, communicate, learn and access services. From public transport apps to online banking and health services, most aspects of daily life now rely on software.

Understanding how these systems work – and how to build or adapt them – is becoming a practical skill, not just a professional one. The European Commission’s Digital Decade strategy reflects this shift.

The European Union aims to ensure that at least 80% of adults have basic digital skills by 2030, recognising that digital competence is essential for participation in society and the economy.

Solving everyday problems with code

Coding enables people to create solutions to problems they encounter in their own communities. These don’t have to be large-scale applications. A student might build a simple tool to track homework deadlines, while a local volunteer group could create a small website to coordinate activities or share information.

Such projects reflect a broader trend: coding is increasingly used to automate routine tasks, organise data and simplify everyday processes. According to the OECD, digital skills – including basic programming and computational thinking – are becoming central to productivity and innovation across sectors, not just in the tech industry.

This means coding is no longer confined to software companies. It appears in fields as diverse as agriculture, healthcare, education, logistics and the creative industries.

Understanding the systems around us

Coding also helps people make sense of the digital systems they use every day. Whether it’s recommendation algorithms, automated decision-making or AI-powered tools, many technologies operate behind the scenes.

UNESCO notes that digital education, including coding, helps young people develop critical thinking and agency in technology-driven societies. It enables them not just to consume digital services, but to understand and shape them.

This understanding is increasingly important as artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into everyday life. Knowing how systems are built – even at a basic level – helps people question, adapt and improve the technologies they rely on.

From small projects to big opportunities

Coding skills can start with small, practical projects, but they often open doors to wider opportunities. The European Commission has highlighted a persistent shortage of ICT specialists and aims to reach 20 million digital professionals by 2030.

As demand grows, even basic coding knowledge can provide a foundation for future careers, entrepreneurship or further study.

A skill for everyday life

In today’s digital world, coding is less about memorising syntax and more about thinking logically, solving problems and creating useful tools.

Whether it’s building a small application, automating a task or understanding how an algorithm works, coding enables people to engage more actively with technology.

As Europe moves towards its digital goals, the real value of coding may not lie in creating the next global platform, but in empowering millions of people to solve everyday problems with digital tools.

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Between accessible tools, clear learning pathways and supportive communities, starting a coding journey is easier – and more encouraging – than ever before.

Here is what you don’t need to worry about as a beginner in 2026.

You don’t need to know everything before you begin

A common fear among aspiring coders is the belief that they must learn every foundational concept before seeing any real results. In reality, that’s not how most people learn effectively.

Experienced programmers often recommend focusing first on building simple, tangible projects before memorising complex syntax or patterns. The goal isn’t to master every detail upfront – it’s to use what you’ve learned to create something real and motivating.

This “learn-by-doing” mindset is especially useful in 2026, when tools and accelerators make it straightforward to see the outcome of your first lines of code quickly.

You don’t need to pick the perfect language

Beginners often stress over choosing “the best” programming language first. In reality, there is no universally correct choice.

Python remains one of the most beginner-friendly languages thanks to its clear, readable syntax and wide applicability across web development, data science, automation and artificial intelligence. Javascript is another excellent starting point because you can run it immediately in your web browser and see results right away.

Focusing on fundamentals like problem-solving and logic will pay off more than agonising over language choice.

You don’t need to set up complicated environments

Gone are the days when setting up a development environment was a major barrier to entry. Many platforms designed for beginners now provide browser-based coding environments, so you can start writing and running code without installing anything. And for learners using local tools, environments like Replit and AI-enhanced IDEs help manage setup for you – letting you focus on learning, not configuration.

You don’t need to be intimidated by AI tools

Some beginners worry that AI coding tools make learning obsolete or overly complex. The opposite is true: these tools are here to help you learn faster. AI-assisted coding platforms can suggest code snippets, explain logic, and even generate example projects based on natural-language prompts.

However, you still benefit from understanding why the code works – using AI as a learning companion rather than a crutch will help your skills grow more quickly.

You don’t have to go it alone

Feeling stuck is part of every learning journey, but you don’t need to struggle in isolation. There are huge communities online – from Stack Overflow to free coding forums – where learners help each other understand concepts, troubleshoot errors and celebrate progress. And make sure to join our EU Code Week Teachers Facebook Group for lots of support and inspiration

Collaborative spaces like open-source projects and coding challenges can also provide mentorship and encouragement.

The bottom line 

In 2026, starting to code does not mean mastering everything at once. You don’t need perfect language choices, complex setups, or fear of emerging tools. What matters is curiosity, consistency, and a willingness to build small things that teach you big lessons. 

Begin with confidence – the tech world is more welcoming than ever, and the path from the first line of code to meaningful skills has never been clearer.

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A free learning app built by four schoolgirls has won Lithuania’s national EU Code Week Hackathon — and now they’re heading to the European Final on 11 March.

A new learning app created by four Lithuanian schoolgirls has won the national EU Code Week Hackathon — and now they are heading to the European stage.

The team “Rami galva” (“Calm Mind”) took first place with “IšmokAI”, a free learning app designed to make studying clearer, more effective and far less chaotic. On 11 March, they will represent Lithuania in the European #CodeWeek Hackathon Final, pitching their working solution to an international jury.

A real problem, turned into a real solution

Learning can be hard — especially when information feels messy, motivation drops, and AI tools return unreliable results. The idea for IšmokAI began with a familiar classroom frustration: history lessons that felt unclear, and the experience of AI tools pulling inaccurate dates and facts from untrustworthy sources.

So the team decided to build something better: an app that helps learners study with reliable, structured information — and suggests the best learning method depending on the topic and the learner’s focus.

“Our app IšmokAI supports a more effective learning process and better results. It helps prepare for tests and exams, and to learn a new topic. A clear structure helps you understand the subject better, which also increases motivation. The app is suitable for pupils, students, teachers — and anyone looking for ways to learn something new. It’s free to download, which makes its social impact even greater.”

Meet the winning team

The IšmokAI app was created by four students from Alytus, Vilnius and Telšiai:

• Austėja Bartkevičiūtė (Alytaus Adolfo Ramanausko-Vanago Gymnasium)
• Vlada Telesina (Vilnius Sholom Aleichem ORT Gymnasium)
• Andžela Lenkauskaitė (Telšiai Germantas Progymnasium)
• Ivita Barysaitė (Vilnius Laisvės Gymnasium)

What makes IšmokAI stand out?

The app helps learners study smarter by combining trusted content with practical learning techniques:

• Supports preparation for tests and exams
• Structures information using reliable sources
• Recommends learning methods such as Pomodoro, Active Recall, and more
• Takes motivation and attention span into account, helping users learn in manageable steps
• Designed for pupils, students, teachers, and anyone learning a new topic
• Free to download, increasing its potential social impact

The team’s goal is simple: one place where learners can understand what to study, how to study it, and how to stay on track.

Aligned with the European theme: “From Code to Community”

The jury recognised IšmokAI as the best national solution because it is:

• working and already tested
• useful and validated by students
• tackling a real challenge in education
• strongly aligned with this year’s European theme: “From Code to Community: Digital Skills and Social Impact.”

A hackathon full of ideas with social impact

Lithuania’s EU Code Week Hackathon invited teams of 14–19-year-old students to explore how digital technologies and AI can help solve challenges across five key areas:

• the future of work
• healthcare
• agriculture
• sustainability
• education

“The EU Code Week Hackathon shows how digital skills can be used to create change, bring social benefit to the community, and contribute to improving our lives.”

Other finalist apps celebrated at the national final

The national final also highlighted four more impressive youth-built solutions:

Plantiful (Team: “Init for the cookies”) — Sustainable community

Team Innit for the cookies

A gardening and sustainability app encouraging people to grow plants locally, supported by an “AI grandma”, with a forum for sharing tips, recipes, and (in future) donating surplus produce.

HealthAhead (Team: “Coder Cats”) — Responsible living

Team Coder Cats

A health app that reminds users about preventative health checks and helps families track what tests are needed, when, and why — promoting the idea that “health starts before symptoms”.

Potrimpo (Team: “Šunažolės”) — Harmonious connection

Team Šunažolės

An app encouraging young people to spend more time outdoors, explore nature, and build awareness of environmental issues by scanning plants and building a virtual “island” of discoveries.

Fiturum (Team: “Futurum”) — Youth power

Team Futurum

A free AI-powered sports app that creates personalised training plans and adapts as the user progresses — designed to tackle common barriers like low motivation and not knowing where to start.

Supporting young creators

The hackathon was supported by a mentoring team including Dovilė Daulenskienė, Justina Valentukevičė, and Neda Žutautaitė, who helped participants shape their ideas, plan development, and present solutions for different audiences.

Neda Žutautaitė, Chair of the jury and Director of the “Knowledge Economy Forum”, highlighted the value of initiatives like this in connecting young people’s digital skills with real-world challenges — from wellbeing and education to sustainability and healthy living.

Next stop: the European Final on 11 March

On 11 March, the Lithuanian winners will compete online in the European Final against national hackathon winners from Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Ukraine, France, Spain, and Slovenia.

Lithuania has already shown strong results in previous years — and this year, the team “Rami galva” is ready to make their mark.

Let’s cheer them on — and celebrate every young creator using technology to drive positive change.

Read the original article (Lithuanian):
https://www.epilietis.eu/…/programele-ismokai…/

With thanks to ESET for supporting the hackathon with a prize: the cybersecurity card game “kiberNODAS”.

The post From Code to Community: Lithuanian students win the national EU Code Week Hackathon and advance to the European Final appeared first on Code Week.

From 2025’s award process, the Content Creation awards focus on teaching resources: activities that can be reused, adapted, and brought to life in classrooms, clubs, and community settings across Europe and beyond.

The five winning resources of 2025 show just how broad and inspiring coding education can be; from unplugged activities for young learners to advanced AI and robotics projects, from emotional wellbeing to environmental sustainability.

Below, we spotlight each winning activity and share ideas on how educators can use them in their own contexts.

Every Code Is a Tree, Every Idea Is a Breath

Category: Green Activity

This interdisciplinary activity connects coding, artificial intelligence, and environmental awareness, helping students explore how digital technologies can support sustainability and care for nature. Learners are invited to see technology as “the language of nature” and themselves as digital conservationists.

Designed for all age groups, from preschool to secondary education, the activity scales from unplugged coding (such as step-by-step “grow a tree” algorithms) to AI-supported creative projects, including digital campaigns, music, and storytelling.

Educators can use this resource to:

• introduce coding concepts through sustainability themes
• work across subjects such as science, digital skills, arts, and citizenship
• adapt activities for different age groups and experience levels
• spark discussions on ethical and environmental uses of AI

It will work especially well during Code Week, environmental days, or project-based learning weeks, and can be easily localised and shared digitally.

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Crack the Code – Goldilocks Sequence Debugging

Category: Inclusion-Focused Activity

This unplugged activity introduces sequencing and debugging through a familiar story: Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Using picture cards instead of written text, learners work together to identify errors, reorder events, and “fix” the story, just like programmers debug code.

Designed for primary school learners and pre-school settings, the activity is highly inclusive and accessible, supporting pupils with different literacy levels and learning needs.

Educators can use this resource to:

• introduce core coding concepts without screens
• support early computational thinking and problem-solving
• foster collaboration, discussion, and confidence
• adapt the structure to other stories or contexts

It’s ideal for early years, inclusive classrooms, and as a gentle first step into coding for young learners.

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When Cardboard Comes to Life: Pollinators, Robotics, and Machine Learning

Category: Community Choice Award

In this hands-on project, students build a cardboard garden where bees and butterflies move in response to colours detected by a machine-learning model they train themselves. Using AI tools, robotics, and creative crafting, learners explore pollination, biodiversity, and ethical questions around AI and data bias.

Designed for upper primary and lower secondary learners, the project brings together science, art, coding, and environmental education.

Educators can use this resource to:

• introduce machine learning through experiential learning
• connect AI concepts to real environmental impact
• explore ethics, bias, and data quality with students
• adapt the activity for different levels of technical complexity

The project is highly adaptable and works well in STEM, computer science, or interdisciplinary project settings.

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We Relax and Play with the Coder Picasso

Category: Digital Wellbeing

This creative, unplugged resource blends coding, emotions, art, and wellbeing. Through playful activities inspired by Pablo Picasso’s abstract style, students learn to express emotions, design simple algorithms, and understand concepts such as input–process–output, all without using computers.

Aimed at primary school learners, the activity helps children recognise emotions, reflect on screen time, and develop early algorithmic thinking through movement, drawing, and play.

Educators can use this resource to:

• introduce coding concepts in a calm, human-centred way
• support emotional literacy and digital wellbeing
• integrate arts, movement, and computational thinking
• create safe spaces for discussion, reflection, and collaboration

It’s particularly powerful in early grades, wellbeing weeks, or as a balance to screen-based activities.

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Smart Educational Bee Park – Technology for Nature

Category: AI in Education

This ambitious, real-world project invites learners to design a Smart Educational Bee Park, combining coding, IoT, AI, environmental science, and civic engagement. Students explore the ecological importance of bees and use technology to respond to real environmental challenges such as habitat loss, drought, and climate change.

Targeted at lower and upper secondary students, the project blends digital design, data collection, microcontrollers, and even community outreach.

Educators can use this resource to:

• run a long-term interdisciplinary project
• introduce AI, IoT, and data visualisation in a meaningful context
• connect classroom learning with local environmental issues
• involve students in teamwork, research, and ethical discussions

The project is modular, allowing educators to focus on selected components or scale it up as a flagship school initiative.

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From Inspiration to Action

These five award-winning activities show that coding education is not just about technology, it’s about creativity, inclusion, wellbeing, and responsibility. Each resource is designed to be reused, adapted, and shared, empowering educators to bring meaningful digital learning experiences into their own classrooms and communities.

Whether you’re working with preschoolers or teenagers, teaching unplugged or with AI and robotics, these activities offer inspiration and practical tools to get started.

Explore, adapt, and bring them to life, they are yours to use! Don’t forget to let us know by registering them on Code Week platform as activities!

The post Five Award-Winning Digital Learning Activities to Try in Your Classroom appeared first on Code Week.

Registrations are open for the EU Code Week Hackathons Finals

11 March 2026


12:00–14:00 (CET)


Online (Zoom)

Register now


(Free registration)

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