“Today, more than ever before, we all need to react to the challenges brought by modern technology and our globalized world. However, we don’t necessarily need to come up with completely new solutions since we already have ones that work. The Generation 3.0 program is a good example. Thanks to support from Citi Foundation, we can launch this cooperation between the Czech Republic and Slovakia, share our experience and know-how and work more quickly and efficiently,“ says Miroslav Hřebecký, Program Director of EDUin.

“The Generation 3.0 program wants every child and young person to be able to reach their potential and develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for life in the 21st century. Our cooperation with EDUin with also emphasize this need in public and allow us to share examples of best practice between schools, parents as well as officials,“ explains Norbert Maur, Program Manager at the Pontis Foundation.

Despite a high demand for labor and an acute shortage thereof, Slovakia has one of the highest unemployment rates among young people in the EU. Almost one fourth of unemployed people in Slovakia are younger than 29 years. Experts think that the current technological revolution may cause this situation to get even worse in the next two decades since many EU countries are unable to incorporate the necessary skills into their national curricula quickly enough.

The Generation 3.0 program will help 1,500 young people in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, giving them access to innovative educational approaches to help them improve the skills they need to find employment in the future.

“Citi knows how important it is to invest in young people. The foundation is aware of the impact this can have on the future of the Slovak and Czech societies and economies.

In 2017, Citi Foundation made a commitment to invest 100 million dollars as part of its Pathways to Progress initiative. Its goal is to reach 500,000 young people by 2020 and help them improve their employability and entrepreneurial skills. Our partnership with the Pontis Foundation and EDUin is an important part of this global commitment. It will help young people in both countries gain the skills, self-confidence and knowledge needed to succeed in the future,“ said Veronika Španárová, CEO of the Slovak subsidiary of Citibank Europe plc.

Reward, measure and spread

These are the main activities on which the Pontis Foundation and EDUin will be focusing in their countries:

• finding and rewarding innovative educational approaches,
• measuring their impact and success,
• spreading projects with the biggest impact,
• promoting the necessary changes in education.

The community-interest company EDUin

Just as the Pontis Foundation, EDUin also aims to promote change in the education system of its country. One of the tools it uses is providing systematic information about recent events education. Among other things, EDUin activities have managed to increase the number of parents willing to make public statements about education and bring headmasters to be more active and cooperate with each other. While the Pontis Foundation has recently started presenting the Generation 3.0 Award for innovative educational approaches, EDUin has already organized 4 editions of its Eduína Award.