Open Future Expands to Senica, Topoľčany, Martin, and Dolný Kubín!

At the end of last year, the Pontis Foundation launched the Boost the Future call to find partners who would help expand the Open Future educational program to more regions of Slovakia. Among the applicants from eastern, central, and western Slovakia, we have now selected four organizations that will launch the program in their cities starting in September.   

We were looking for leisure centers, schools, and community or education innovation centers that would be interested in bringing new extracurricular learning opportunities to their surroundings. We sought partners ready to organize hackathons, help students work on their own innovations, and connect them with inspiring people from the real working environment, startups, and business. 

“All the organizations that applied through the call went through a technical and content evaluation, with the help of external reviewers. Based on these evaluations, we made an initial selection of organizations, with whom we also met in person. We wanted to see the spaces they provide and discuss questions related to program management as well as their motivation to network with various stakeholders at the local and regional levels,” Alena Štefániková, Project Manager at the Pontis Foundation, describes the selection process. 

As she emphasizes, these meetings filled us with great energy. “It was clear that even in smaller towns, there are many innovations happening, led by passionate individuals who create space for educational and volunteer activities, as well as for intergenerational collaboration,” A. Štefániková says. 

After evaluating all aspects of the selection process, we ultimately decided to partner with the following centers: Information Centre for Youth Topoľčany, SYNERGIA MARTIN, Senica 2.0, and Garage Club Dolný Kubín. “We thank all the organizations that took part in the selection process. We truly appreciate their motivation and effort to bring innovation to their regions,” added A. Štefániková on behalf of the evaluation committee of the Boost the Future call. 

Lucia Gregorová, Senior Manager of the Open Future program, is happy with the selection of the new partners: “Expanding the program is a huge milestone for us, and we are very pleased that it will reach dozens of new children and young people. We believe that through the Boost the Future call, we have found great partners who, like us, want to take education to a new level and develop 21st-century skills in children.” 

One of the long-term goals of the Pontis Foundation is to expand the unique Open Future educational program and give dozens of children across Slovakia the opportunity to strengthen and develop their entrepreneurial spirit, with digital and soft skills. The program is supported by a strong partner, the Danish foundation Villum Fonden, which has awarded a grant of 1.3 million euros to support the program’s expansion for the period of years 2024 – 2028.