Creativity and Collaboration Foster Learning
2021 - another year just fully under the control of COVID-19 and all the related consequences, challenges and opportunities it brings to all of us.
Being optimistic is always the best choice even or specifically under difficult circumstances. This is why I would like to focus on the opportunities this very special situation means for learning and teaching at schools and how the SAP Young Thinkers program and community intend to contribute it's piece to what happens around us.
Before jumping in the 2021 outlook, let us look back to 2020. Educational systems around the globe speeded up in digitization, in some cases just started their 'digital journey and transformation'. The latest
school barometer in Germany describes the situation from different perspectives and highlights areas of development needs. Those look quite similar in many countries around the globe. Technical infrastructure and collaboration platforms for schools, mobile devices for teachers and students and one of the most relevant things, teacher education as well as high-quality and suitable online learning materials are key points you find in the barometer.
https://youtu.be/fCGt13ePTaE?list=PLZZumF9ACFflccAaoZfFRx_9WMXhKobc7
The
movement started five years ago with a growing number of internal and external community members. We support our next generation and current teachers to get closer to the 21st Century Skills with a focus on computer and data science, as well as economy and business processes. The Young Thinkers mindset embraces empathy, exchange, experimental learning, and experience.
In Q1 2020 triggered by the COVID-19 outbreak we didn't hesitate to roll up our sleeves and regardless of internal organizational structures joint forces with many colleagues. Foremost with the engagement of the Young Thinkers ambassadors, we transformed our learning events to online and increased our portfolio of learning modules always following our mantra
create, collaborate and celebrate. Discover next how all our activities evolve!
Create
As one of the first things we did, we published a new
website in 12 languages, offering direct access to some remote learning materials to share what we have with our community of learners. The SAP Community
Young Thinkers page followed to continuously offer new assets while staying in ongoing exchange with our community.
Featured open and free of charge learning platforms
co-developed by us are Snap! and MicroBlocks.
Snap! is a broadly inviting programming language for everyone who wants to have an appealing start into Computer and Date Science.
University of California Berkeley is using the Snap! platform to introduce Computer Science using a beautiful curriculum 'The Beauty and Joy of Computing'.
MicroBlocks is a live, parallel, autonomous and visual programming language connecting all kind of microcontrollers that just celebrated its release in September 2020. It's potential regarding IoT, Industry 4.0 and what have you is to be further leveraged in 2021.
Also our curricula around
SAP4School, invites young learners to work with real SAP software while providing themselves a clear carrier advantage in business skills. In 2021 the team including our Competence Centers and SAP colleagues will focus on the move of this curricula to S/4 HANA to expose the next generation to the increased capabilities and updated UI of our powerful SAP software. A glimpse into S/4 HANA. This will give an age-diverse group of learners and teachers during the
ERP Sim Games together with
DSAG. More gamification and learning with fun opportunities around S/4 can be expected in 2021.
Mindset and soft skills are the foundation for everything, so Design Thinking, Entrepreneurial and Holistic Thinking in divers teams and around relevant topics like topics addressed via the SDGs always were and will be part of our Young Thinkers portfolio. Empathy with your target group and every person you talk to and a good access to their own creative strengths will empower the next generation no matter what will come up next.
Collaborate
The SAP Young Thinkers movement acts together with lots of individuals and institutions internally and externally of SAP and around the globe.
Wissensfabrik, where Harry Thomsen became member of the
steering committee in 2020.
MINT-EC, where Thomas Saueressig addressed more than 300 head masters at their annual conference.
Youth Center Orlyonok were 1000 of young Russian learners enjoyed learning.
GEMS Modern Academy, Dubai who will be very active with us kicking off the World Exposition in 2021. Our close University partners in crime
University of Education Heidelberg, Technical University of Munich, Hasso-Plattner-Institute. #wirfürschule, a big German initiative supported from KMK and BMBF was supported in 2020 and will be in 2021 together with Women in Tech, Corona School in Germany was supported with many different workshops in 2020 and the first ones are already in the pipe for week after next. ForUsGirls Foundation.a very active organization in the US was enabled to teach around Snap! and helped underserved and all to get stared with Computer Science. The first German Schools Abroad joint our Young Thinkers movement from Chile and Spain as well as from Shanghai. In 2021 we will continue to strengthen
our cooperation with the DAS network around the globe.
Celebrate
While the SAP Young Thinkers usually celebrate with energetic in-person events, like the
Go Digital Night with
Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, the pandemic made us rethink and reshape our emotional learning experiences and formats. Employees could bring their children and friends e.g. to the virtual SAP Family Day India or the online
Winter Wonderland of
HR Germany. The virtual
IT-Camps 4 Youngsters organized by Claudia Fürst were well received as always by our own 'SAP kids'. Virtual internships and Workshops4Schools were offered by our great cooperation partner in HR, the Vocational Training team. Our Young Thinkers
Learning Festivals were reimagined in virtual experiences in May and July. The first excited and inspired young and not so young learners for what you can do with software to support the SDGs and the second offered as pre-event for the 2
nd worldwide
Snap!Con organized together with
UoC Berkeley, attracted more than 100 learners, the first time joining in from across the world. In 2021, you can expect more exciting learning offerings from us, the Trainers Thursday which is offered on a monthly base, our quarterly bar camp and on demand meet ups around topics of your interest.
There is reason to stay tuned, so don't miss out and follow us on our
SAP Community Page, and @SAPNextGen channels on
Twitter,
LinkedIn and
Instagram - #SAPYoungThinkers. Also, don´t hesitate to reach out for any questions or to engage via
youngthinkers@sap.com.
Happy to welcome you as part of our SAP Young Thinkers movement!
Christiane, founder and enthusiastic driver of the mission and movement.
