Home Public Relations News Press releases As Part of Savings Week, a National Robotics Competition for the Youngest– Over 215 Pupils, Mentors and Trainers Showcase the Power of Children’s Curiosity, Innovation and Knowledge

As Part of Savings Week, a National Robotics Competition for the Youngest– Over 215 Pupils, Mentors and Trainers Showcase the Power of Children’s Curiosity, Innovation and Knowledge

01/11/2025

Organised by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, the CBCG and the Innovation Fund of Montenegro, the national robotics competition for the youngest – “RoboFin” – was held today in Podgorica. The event, marking Savings Week and part of the “Robotics for the Youngest” programme, gathered 56 teams with more than 215 primary school pupils from all parts of Montenegro.


This programme connecting STEM fields with financial literacy, tasked lower-grade primary school pupils across Montenegro to carry out “Štedljivko’s Adventure”. This practical and fun mission taught them the basics of saving, planning and responsible money management, while the activity aimed to develop logical thinking, teamwork, creativity, and understanding of basic programming and financial literacy principles.


In an atmosphere filled with excitement and children’s energy, the youngest programmers demonstrated remarkable knowledge, imagination and collaboration. Judges evaluated the creativity, functionality and precision of the robots, as well as the way teams jointly solved the task.


The team Mozgalići of the Primary School “Aleksa Đilas Bećo” from Mojkovac won the first place. Second place went to the team 4Tigers of the Primary School “Dušan Korać” from Bijelo Polje, while the team Super Tim of the Primary School “Mihailo Žugić” from Pljevlja took the third place.


Special awards were presented to the team Robomatix of thePrimary School “21 maj” from Podgorica, for the most creative robot solution, and to the team Robologic of the Primary School “Nikola Đurković” from Radanovići, Kotor, for the best short video.


Four of the youngest participants received special recognition and educational gifts. These were Maša Peković and Matija Lalović from Primary School “Štampar Makarije”, Aleksej Raosavljević from Primary School “Risto Ratković” from Bijelo Polje, and Aleksa Drašković from Primary School “Dr Dragiša Ivanović” from Podgorica.


The trophies and medals were presented to the winners by the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Anđela Jakšić-Stojanović, the CBCG Governor Irena Radović, and the Director of the Innovation Fund of Montenegro, Bojana Femić-Radosavović.


“Today your robots were taking steps, but the most important steps were your own – steps of curiosity, perseverance and friendship. Learning through play and experience builds confidence, and every mistake is just a step closer to success. The ‘Robotics for the Youngest’ programme shows the importance of building schools together where every child can explore, experiment and believe it can create something new,” said Minister of Education, Science and Innovation Anđela Jakšić-Stojanović.


The CBCG Governor Irena Radović said she felt truly fulfilled and happy to see how enthusiastically children embraced the programme and participated in such large numbers. “Acquiring financial knowledge from an early age provides the foundation for making responsible decisions in the future – whether concerning personal finance, entrepreneurship or understanding the economy. I am especially proud of the mentors and teachers who, together with the children, have shown that knowledge and responsibility can be learned through play, cooperation and smiles. Today’s energy and enthusiasm of the children strongly confirm that we are investing in the right future,” emphasised Governor Radović, adding that programmes like this lay a firm foundation for developing financially literate and socially responsible generations.


The Director of the Innovation Fund of Montenegro, Bojana Femić-Radosavović, stressed that “RoboFin” proves how much children can achieve when given the opportunity to learn through play. “The children who today assemble and programme their first robots will be tomorrow’s innovators, engineers and entrepreneurs. Their energy and curiosity show that Montenegro’s future lies in knowledge and creativity. ‘RoboFin’ is more than a competition, it is a community growing together with the children and their teachers,” said Femić-Radosavović.


The competition unfolded in the spirit of play, knowledge and teamwork. The hall was filled with positive energy and excitement, and the ceremony hosted was Nihada Grbović, a primary school teacher and trainer in the “Robotics for the Youngest” programme. The event concluded with the presentation of awards and certificates, group photographs and a big round of applause for all participants.


“Robotics for the Youngest” is a national educational programme that connects technology and financial literacy, opening new opportunities for children’s learning and development in Montenegro. This year, the programme culminated in the national “RoboFin” competition, which uniquely combined knowledge, play and creativity. The programme aims to encourage children explore the world of robotics, digital skills and responsible money management through fun and practical activities.


During 2025, as part of strengthening the teaching staff capacities, 14 teachers successfully completed the training for “Robotics for the Youngest” programme trainers, while more than 200 primary school teachers across Montenegro attended the accredited training “Applying Robotics for Innovative Teaching Methods and Developing Key Competences in Pupils”.


The “Robotics for the Youngest” programme was launched in 2022 as a pilot initiative in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation and the Bureau for Education. The idea was to encourage the development of logical thinking, creative problem-solving and the acquisition of specific knowledge among lower-grade primary school pupils through innovative teaching methods and the introduction of an educational robot as a teaching aid.


The pilot phase was carried out in four primary schools in Podgorica. Due to high interest expressed by educational institutions, the programme, with the support of donors, continued and expanded to 16 more schools across all three regions. Today, thanks to the support of CBCG, the programme has grown into a national initiative that includes all primary schools in the country – more than 160 educational institutions and thousands of pupils.