HELLENIC TELECOM ORGANIZATION S A : Students looking into the future at the finals of the National Competition for Educational Robotics

- Record entries: >1,100 students from all over Greece participated in the finals of the National Competition of Educational Robotics for Primary, Junior and Senior High-Schools

- COSMOTE enhances young peoples' digital skills

More than 1,100 Primary School, Junior and Senior High-School students presented their impressive robotic constructions at the Olympic Athletic Center of Athens (OAKA), in the context of the finals of the National Competition for Educational Robotics, where they comprised 256 competing teams. The competition was organized, for the 3rd consecutive year, by the Non-Profit Organization of Educational Robotics, Science and Technology WRO Hellas, with its strategic partner COSMOTE. COSMOTE supports the promotion of educational robotics in Greece, as well as the development of digital skills among the youngsters, in the context its sustainable growth program.

Surpassing all previous events, this year's finals for the National Competition for Educational Roboticsbroke the record of entries from all over Greece, while for the first time senior high-schoolers participated. All the teams worked passionately and enthusiastically to present their amazing robotic constructions, thus showing us all the way forward for the future.

Primary school teams worked on the theme "Vehicles and transport of tomorrow"; junior high-schoolers had to build a robot that would cover the fastest "The Course of Alexander the Great"; while senior high-school students tried their hand in robotic constructions evolving around "Green Energy & Entrepreneurship".

The works presented by the students with the support of their coaches-teachers were based on the S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) educational method, combining science, mathematics, engineering and technology for the creation of original and operational models.

The winners of this year's National Competition of Educational Robotics are:

Primary schools

1st place: The team SmartRobots from the 3rd Primary School of Pefki created a smart bus with no driver that knows when to stop within the city.

2nd place: Team Master Builder from the 7th Primary School of Agrinio built a floating train.

3rd place: Robo Rails from the Geitonas School presented the railway tracks of the future.

Junior high-schools

1st place: Team Ν1 from Patras' High-Schools built the robot that run "The Course of Alexander the Great" track in the fastest time.

2nd place: AIRGears from Thessaly

3rd place: Teamwork Dream from Western Greece.

Senior high-schools

1st place (split vote): Fargrobs from the 7th General High School of Trikala & Minders from Educational Renaissance. The former built an innovative robotic explorer running on solar power and supporting agricultural crops. The latter, built a "buoy" utilizing wave energy and turning it into electric power.

2nd place: Robotilus Team from the Hellenic-German Education School built an autonomous hydraulic power unit for supplying energy to small settlements.

3rd place: KickPumps from the 2nd General High School of Thiva used renewable energy sources and automated systems in agricultural crops.

Approximately 730 teams comprised of 3,500 students from all over the country participated at the National Competition of Educational Robotics, while on the road to the finals 45 workshops were held for educators and coaches.

Childrens' efforts, however, do not stop here. Applications to participate in the Competition for Educational Robotics, leading to the World Robot Olympiad to be held this November in Costa Rica, continue until May 31st 2017. For more information, interested parties may visit the webpage www.wrohellas.gr.

Technology and innovation are integral in COSMOTE's DNA. Educational robotics, supported by COSMOTE from 2014, equip youngsters with the necessary skills to navigate the new digital world. At the same time, they encourage children, parents and teachers to try different ways of thinking and discover new perspectives for the future through technology.