ERTA - European Robotics Teachers’ Academy – Educational Robotics for STEM Skills, Arts and Humanities, Computational Thinking, Creativity, Emotional Intelligence, and Inclusion in Preschool and Early

ongoing

The European Robotics Teachers’ Academy (ERTA) is a European education partnership that promotes a holistic approach to the use of Educational Robotics (ER) in preschool and early primary education. By bringing together Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) providers, schools, public bodies and expert organisations from six countries, the project aims to support teachers in using ER not only for STEM learning but also for developing students’ creativity, emotional intelligence, computational thinking, and supporting their inclusion. ERTA will establish a European Community of Practice and co-design a training programme for teacher trainers, followed by a tailored training programme for pre-service and in-service teachers. These programmes will be supported by blended learning resources, a structured mobility scheme, and co-created teaching materials. The goal is to provide teachers with practical and accessible tools for using ER in ways that connect different disciplines and skills in preschool and early primary education. Through classroom pilots and training activities, ERTA will test, evaluate and refine its approach, leading to the development of policy recommendations, along with a micro-credentialing framework to support wider uptake. The project will conclude with a European Policy Forum on Educational Robotics, encouraging dialogue and action to embed ER in teacher education systems in Europe.