Participate in the Bitbot Challenge 2020!

Bitbot Challenge, framed in the Bitbot program of the SmartCatalonia strategy, is an initiative promoted by the Ministry for Digital Policy and Public Administration of the Government of Catalonia with the support of the i2CAT Foundation. It represents the spirit to bring technological knowledge and resources to citizenship, accompanied by the goal of fostering STEM among young generations, which will transform tomorrow’s society.

If you are a company or an organization that offers technology-themed summer camps for kids from 8 to 14 years old, now it is the time to participate! Until the 23^rd of June, you can submit your proposal in PDF here. The entries have to consider some key aspects, all focused on creating opportunities for everyone and everywhere around Catalonia:

• At least 50 % of the slots should be reserved to female participants
• Free or discounted spots should be offered to vulnerable groups
• The topics should include educational robotics, digital fabrication, programming, cybersecurity or digital cyberactivism
• A minimum of 20 hours is required, and more than half of them have to be dedicated to digital technology
• The activities can be carried out either remotely, on-site or in a mixed environment, always adapted to the current restrictions and security measures established by the health authorities regarding the Covid-19

A number of 20 finalists would be selected on the 1^st of July and will receive a prize of 1500 €, half of it at the beginning to be able to start the activity, and the rest at the end, once checked that it has fulfilled the initial submission. This selection will follow the criteria of originality and innovation, degree of focus on women, enrolment facilities for vulnerable families, objectives, programming content, and other features.

Summer camps have to take place between the 1^st of July and the 13^th of September. Once they finish and until the 20^th of September, the finalists will need to send a document compiling all the content, inclusion plan, methodology, and viability plan. In October, the three most innovative and inclusive submissions will win prizes of up to 4000 €.

The competition aims at creating summer tech camps with an emphasis on gender equality and to answer the needs of the Covid-19 crisis. It will strongly promote the participation of girls in technological activities, which constitutes a paramount approach to reach equality in ICT. If you have any doubts, you can contact [email protected].

This event is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund in the framework of the Programa Operatiu FEDER de Catalunya 2014-2020 and under the “Impuls de la Transformació Digital i Mobile” project (GO10-010783)