Since 2018 every April 21 the World Creativity and Innovation Day. The objective of this day is to promote multidisciplinary creative thinking that can help us achieve the sustainable future we want, so that children have a leading role on this day.
Some of the ideas that come to mind to define innovation are: change; do what one does in a different and improved way; the guarantee of leading us to real improvement; go trying new things. And this is the Innovakids proposal, we will tell you more about it.
What is Innovakids?
Innovakids is the Educational proposal from a number of teachers and education professionals. We can define it as an innovation and entrepreneurship program for children. This program is offered through workshops for teachers, so that they apply ICT in the classroom as a working tool in the classroom and not as an end. In a much more playful way, more current and closer to the boys and girls of primary, secondary and high school.
In addition, this group of young people propose entrepreneur workshops in educational centers, the same or similar to those of the Chambers of Commerce and other entities. The design thinking methodology is used, and other activities aimed at fostering an entrepreneurial cultureto. Students carry out the development of a project from a idea that they themselves have come up with.
Through this Innovakids program, skills such as self-control, emotion management, problem solving, critical thinking and interaction skills from early stages of development. All of them go hand in hand and are necessary for innovation.
Innovakids program methodology
It has already been pointed out that InnovaKids is an innovation and entrepreneurship program. The aim is that children start businesses within their reach so that when they grow up they can be entrepreneurs and believe in themselves and in their ability to achieve what they set out to do. To implement this program there are 4 basic pillars:
- Technological innovation. Computational thinking and creativity are promoted through educational robotics and video game programming.
- Business and Financial Education, in which they learn and put into practice the concepts necessary to undertake.
- Personal strengthening, with the development of soft skills. Girls and boys learn to make positive decisions and to know how to solve problems.
- Social and environmental awareness. Good businesses are more than a source of wealth.
Entrepreneurship is transversal, occupies various subjects, mathematics, for the business budget; language for oral expression and writing of the business plan; knowledge of the environment for the social study and the viability of the company, etc. European, state and regional regulations dictate that entrepreneurship is a key competence that should be integrated into the school curriculum.
Why encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in children?
It is fundamental that children's learning process is innovative and creative. This can be done through games, activities, groups, organizations. Art allows them to give abstract solutions to different problems. On the other hand, it is essential to strengthen self-esteem. Teaching the child to think that he can achieve what he sets out to do with effort is just as important as knowing that mistakes and failures are not defeat.
To foster an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit, the child must decide about the things that matter or affect him and face the consequences. This includes choosing your collaborators. Teams are essential. Two heads certainly work better than one. Children need to be taught to communicate. Sharing ideas will reinforce respect, trust, security, in the child.
Helping children discover themselves is an essential step for innovation. Remember that being creative implies thinking differently and being innovative implies taking risks and putting ideas into practice. That is why it is so important to strengthen emotional intelligence, self-confidence and the ability to create.