Promoter – CDI Portugal
Action – Apps for Good
Description – Apps for Good is a technological educational program that aims to create a new generation that uses technology to change the world, challenging teachers and students to develop applications for smartphones and/or tablets that help them in their mission to transform (and improve) their communities. Having started in 2004 in the United Kingdom, it has been present in Portugal since 2015, through CDI Portugal, in collaboration with Apps for Good UK.
The initiative aims to develop a new teaching methodology adapted to the needs of an increasingly social society and to create a new generation of “problem-solvers” and “digital makers” trained in digital skills. Simultaneously, work is carried out with teachers to implement Action, so that they can also actively participate in the revolution in teaching methods.
Students are proposed to create digital solutions that minimize problems related to sustainability, based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. To this end, an operational model was created that involves training teachers in the fields of digital literacy to work locally with young people, being supported by a network of experts in different areas, guiding young people on their path and placing the digital component in the business context.
Teachers will be able to choose one of four different technical levels: building blocks, introduction to the web language (HTML/CSS), web programming (Javascript) and integration with APIs. These levels will allow students and teachers, with basic or intermediate knowledge, to develop advanced technical digital knowledge.
Additionally, the project has a competitive component that helps to stimulate creativity and enhance each student’s (and team) skills. At the end of the Apps for Good program, teams of students participating in the program are invited to participate in the Apps for Good competition, which has two phases: the regional meetings and the final event.