Differentiate and promote your school thanks to STEM learning

What is STEM robotic?

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) – or STEAM when including the Arts – programs are growing within educational systems for several key reasons:

• STEM robotics teaches students how to design, build, and program robots through real-world applications.

• It helps develop essential skills such as: Critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, Digital literacy, Teamwork

• These skills directly address the employability challenges in a job market increasingly driven by automation and digital tools.

• STEM education also responds to skills shortages in key sectors like robotics, AI, and advanced manufacturing.

• Institutions offering STEM/STEAM programs become more attractive to:
  • Businesses seeking partnerships

  • Funding bodies looking to support future-ready education

• This approach aligns with Industry 5.0 goals, where human-centered innovation meets cutting-edge technology.

A global growing trend

STEM education is a global and growing trend in Education and there are some countries that are early adopters. For instance in the United States, since 2009, federal-level projects have allowed schools to benefit from grants based on student numbers: “Project Lead The Way” or “Next Generation Science Standards,” to mention some of them.

In Asia, particularly in Japan and South Korea, robotics specifically plays a leading role, starting in elementary schools.

It is in Europe that the need for skilled science workers is the most burning. The EU offers programs such as Horizon Europe, Erasmus + STEM, and STEM Alliance.

In France, the “France 2030” program and the platform https://primabord.eduscol.education.fr/ provide access to funding and educational resources, respectively. This government support includes funding for equipment such as robots, equipment for technology laboratories, and support for teacher training. The “Our School, Let’s Do It Together” program, led by the National Refoundation Council, also allows for the support of certain projects of this nature. By 2024, 6,003 projects had been approved.

Robotics in the heart of STEM programs : a differentiating curriculum

Robotics courses cover several disciplines: the fundamentals of block-based programming or, for more advanced students, the first steps in Python, trigonometry and spatial physics, artificial intelligence and object recognition, mechanics, electronics, and algorithmic logic.

Robotics also offers many advantages:

• Students move from theory to practice: they program, test, observe, and correct. They manipulate a real object, which makes learning concrete and stimulating.
• They develop autonomy, analytical skills & curiosity
• Robotics allows to adopt a different way to teach. Thanks to interfaces like Blockly or even Python, it’s possible to adapt difficulty levels based on classes, profiles, or projects. Often, students will have already learned, or are currently learning, the visual programming language Scratch in middle school. They may also have their first Python lessons in high school.
• Robotics strengthen teamwork. Students learn to assign roles, document their code, and help each other. These are learning opportunities that are increasingly valued in higher education and business. It’s also an opportunity to create a sense of competition within the school around a motivating technological project that attracts curious and engaged students.

Robotics : a window of opportunity for students’ academic & professional future

Famous and selective schools and institutions highly value profiles with operationnal, independent, and structured technical experience.

From this perspective, robotics is:

• A cross-disciplinary learning tool
• A positive career path for undecided or technically curious students
• An asset on an application (selective programs, engineering competitive exams, etc.)

It provides access to a wide range of career paths: robotics and industrial automation, industrial maintenance/mechatronics, embedded computing, electronics, artificial intelligence, and even digital fields.

It provides access to a wide range of syllabus: robotics and industrial automation, industrial maintenance/mechatronics, embedded computing, electronics, artificial intelligence, and even digital fields.

Robotics is also a powerful lever for differentiating a school. It helps attract and encourage motivated students, particularly by developing a long-term educational project, spanning one or more school years, by collectively involving classes of all levels. A project proposing a concrete robotics application also allows students to participate in competitions between several institutions. The best-known are “First Robotics,” initially launched in the USA and now present in over 100 countries, and the World Robots Olympiad.

Last but not least through the applied and project-oriented dimension of teaching, it allows schools to develop partnerships with companies and obtain funding.

A turnkey solution for teachers : the STEM pack by Niryo

Niryo is offering a package specifically designed for STEM education. 

It includes the Ned 2 6-axis collaborative robot, which is designed to be used directly by students. In engineering science, it allows students to learn mechanical modeling and automation. It is also designed for object-oriented programming and algorithmic logic.

It also includes a complete set of accessories:

• a conveyor
• pallets
• tokens
• suitable vinyl.

Also included is Niryo Studio software for programming:

• by blocks (Blocky), via an intuitive learning mode
• in Python, while respecting industrial best practices.

Finally, Niryo offers a complete 35-hour educational curriculum on NiryoAcademy.

It should be noted that the Ned 2 is already used in many leading institutions. This allows students to become familiar from secondary school with the same tools that they will then find in higher education.