Digital Challenge Earns Erasmus+ Recognition and Support. The project has been officially included among those funded by the European Union, affirming its quality, relevance, and international potential.
After three years of dedicated work and the continuous development of innovative educational programs, the Pupin Challenge and Digital Challenge initiatives have reached a major milestone — the project – DIGITAL CHALLENGE has received financial support from the prestigious Erasmus+ program of the European Union, which is implemented in Serbia through the Tempus Foundation. This grant not only confirms the impact and value of our efforts in STEM education, but also enables the further development of digital and scientific skills among high school students across the region.
International Success Through Collaboration and Innovation
The Erasmus+ program promotes international cooperation in education, enabling student and teacher exchanges and the implementation of innovative learning initiatives. Digital Challenge is the result of joint efforts and the shared enthusiasm of multiple partners who recognize the vital role of digital skills in modern education.
The project is implemented by the Association Network Cirkuliranje, in collaboration with the following partners:
- Mathematical Grammar school, Belgrade, Serbia
- Regional Talent Center “Mihajlo Pupin”, Pančevo, Serbia
- “Grigore Moisil” Theoretical High School, Timișoara, Romania
- Association “One Source”, Timișoara, Romania
From Vision to Recognition
This journey began on December 9, 2021, with the international panel “Education Tailored to Youth,” a turning point in shaping the vision of the Pupin Challenge — an initiative connecting young talents, experts, and educational institutions with a mission to improve STEM education.
In 2023, a pilot cycle of Digital Challenge was conducted, empowering students in applied physics, electronics, and digital competencies. Through the focused engagement of all participants, a high-quality educational model was developed — one that earned recognition from the European Union in the form of the Erasmus+ grant.
What Does the Erasmus+ Grant Bring?
The awarded funds will support program enhancement, stronger international collaboration, and the implementation of new educational methods. Key objectives include:
- Organizing interactive workshops and mentoring programs for students and teachers
- Facilitating student and teacher exchanges between Serbia and Romania to encourage multicultural cooperation
- Developing innovative digital content and teaching materials
- Hosting competitions and hackathons where participants can apply their knowledge in real-world projects
This success underscores the quality of work by all partners and contributes to advancing teaching methods and strengthening digital competencies in the region.
Next Steps
In the coming period, the project will focus on expanding activities and involving even more students and educators in the Digital Challenge program. The goal is to build a sustainable ecosystem for the development of digital and STEM competencies, preparing young people for the challenges of the future.
Vladislav Petković, founder of Cirkuliranje, stated:
“This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved. After years of effort, this recognition is a powerful incentive for the continued advancement of STEM education in the region.”
Oana Suzana Marinescu, representing “Grigore Moisil” theoretical High School, Timișoara:
“The collaboration between our school and our partners from Serbia has had a special significance for the students and teachers of the Grigore Moisil Theoretical High School, our common goal being continuous learning and development in the field of IT.
Participation in previous activities, as well as the “Pupin’s Challenge” competition, were extraordinary experiences based on the exchange of knowledge and best practices. The students of Grigore Moisil Theoretical High School had the opportunity to work alongside colleagues from other schools in an environment that encouraged creativity, innovation, teamwork, and communication in a foreign language.
This educational partnership has been an example of fruitful collaboration, where each team brought valuable contributions and learned from each other. Now, these experiences are being taken to another level, and our collaboration will open new educational horizons. We are confident that this project will continue to bring significant benefits and will support the development of students’ and teachers’ skills, strengthening their connections and learning opportunities in the future.”
Dorian Čoban, founder of Fresch Studio and project subcontractor, added:
“We’re ready for the next steps, where we’ll bring innovation to both the approach and execution. With a strong team of collaborators, the Erasmus+ grant is an additional motivation to unite local experts whose knowledge and expertise can significantly contribute to digital education.”
Jovica Milisavljević, Mathematical Grammar School, Belgrade – expert in formal and informal education:
“As a partner in the Erasmus+ ‘Digital Challenge’ project, the Mathematical Gymnasium is eager to contribute to the implementation of this meaningful and exciting initiative. The rapid evolution of information technologies makes it hard for formal systems to keep up in real time. Projects like Digital Challenge enable us to help our students bridge that gap through informal learning. We look forward to seeing results, exchanging knowledge with our project partners, and creating a dynamic space for students and teachers to follow tech advancements.”
Radu Ticiu, Asociatia One Source – expert in STEAM informal education, founder and coordinator of CoderDojo Timișoara, celebrating 13 years this year:
“We are more than happy and motivated to partner in the Digital Challenge Erasmus+ project. The last couple of years of diverse but punctual collaboration in creating and using opportunities for Romanian and Serbian high school students in several fields of technology starting from programming, robotics and going up to synthetic biology paved the way and set the grounds for an in-detail designed and executed cooperation, aiming to building a structured cross-border connection and framework of activities involving teachers and mentors towards facilitating non-formal education through deeper joint activities of wider groups of passionate teenagers from Belgrade and Timisoara.
We are looking forward for a fruitful and highly qualitative collaboration between teams of Cirkuliranje, Matematicka Gimnazija Beograd, Liceul Teoretic “Grigore Moisil” Timișoara and CoderDojo Timișoara!”
Milan Surla, Regional Talent Center “Mihajlo Pupin”, Pančevo – project associate:
“Through Digital Challenge, in cooperation with our Talent Center, young people have a unique opportunity to build their programming skills in a real-world context — through teamwork, practical challenges, and problem-solving. We’re excited for this next chapter under the Erasmus+ framework, designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and innovative thinking. The program allows students to gain meaningful experience and deepen their knowledge through competition-inspired activities and hackathon-style events.”
The Cirkuliranje association network extends sincere gratitude to all partners, mentors, and participants for their invaluable contributions to this achievement. With great enthusiasm, we move forward — introducing innovations and creating new opportunities for growth.
