Karhula Upper Secondary School Receives European Commission EITA Award

In Karhula Upper Secondary School’s Erasmus+ project, “Football-Robotic and Coding”, students tackled programming and engineering challenges by designing and building small remote-controlled vehicles.

“From the perspective of future skills, one of the greatest benefits for students was undoubtedly learning how to schedule and manage a large, long-term project,” says subject teacher Kristiina Majuri.

“Another objective of the project was to strengthen robotics education in the participating schools.”

Programming is not part of the national curriculum in any of the participating countries and is instead dependent on decisions made by individual schools.

“The project’s goal was to establish practices that ensure knowledge and interest are passed on from one year group to the next.”

Karhula Upper Secondary School has participated in several Erasmus+ projects over the years, but this was the first time the school took on the role of project coordinator.

“In addition to the project content itself, these projects create new international connections that lead to completely new ideas. This project also originated in that way. The funding made it possible for any interested student to participate. Travelling and international cooperation encourage students to commit to the project while also providing a window into other cultures and an opportunity to strengthen practical language skills. The EITA award is proof that international projects can bring lasting changes to a school’s operating culture,” says Majuri.

The EITA jury noted in its justification that the project successfully engaged students in programming and robotics while allowing them to explore concepts in different programming environments. The project helped develop students’ problem-solving abilities and their capacity to create original designs. Participants also gained a deeper understanding of how robots are controlled. At the same time, their scientific thinking and digital learning skills were enhanced.

Watch a video about the project

European Innovative Teaching Award (EITA)

The European Innovative Teaching Award (EITA) is a European Commission award for the general education, vocational education and training, and adult learning sectors. The award recognizes teachers and educational institutions that have participated in innovative Erasmus+ projects that contribute to the development of education. It is presented annually during the Erasmus+ programme period 2021–2027.

The theme of the 2026 EITA Awards is “Skills for Life.” The theme supports the European Union’s efforts to strengthen basic competences across Europe. The award is granted to Erasmus+ projects that aim to improve one or more of the following five key skills:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Science
• Digital skills
• Citizenship skills

A total of 110 projects across Europe will receive the EITA award in 2026. In addition to Karhula Upper Secondary School, the Finnish recipients are Kuopio Upper Secondary School for the Arts Lumit, Häme Vocational Institute, and the Federation of Education in Central Ostrobothnia. The awards will be officially presented to the Finnish recipients on 11 November 2026.

https://education.ec.europa.eu/education-levels/school-education/european-innovative-teaching-award