Youth programs

Infobip Sparks & STEMI School of the Future

Infobip Sparks is a competency based educational program designed to spark curiosity for science and technology in elementary and high school students. The pilot program started in 2019 and consisted of interactive workshops focusing on different STEM areas — robotics, mathematics, computing and programming. Already in 2019, 350 pupils and students participated in the workshops held at the Pangea campus in Vodnjan and made possible by continuous involvement of 15 Bippers, 2 NGOs, 5 faculties.

With the onset of the pandemic, we had to suspend live workshops and think outside of the box to find a way to continue working with elementary schools and high schools and to pursue with the mission of introducing STEM education, projects and workshops to schools. Soon after we found the perfect partner in STEMI(opens in new tab) and started implementing the School of the Future project.

The main idea and goal behind the Schools of the Future project is to connect Croatian schools with the tech industry by implementing new curriculums such as: Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Crowdfunding, Entrepreneurship etc. and to bring the Croatian educational program closer to actual IT industry trends.

What began as a pilot has now grown into a long-running partnership. We have been part of the School of the Future project for six seasons, and our Alpha Centauri campus has hosted the final event for the fifth time. That consistency matters, because it shows that this is not a one-off initiative — it is something we keep building, year after year.

The scale has also grown significantly. In 2026, Innovation Day(opens in new tab) at Alpha Centauri brought together more than 1,500 students and teachers from primary and secondary schools across Croatia for a day focused on AI, innovation, and hands-on learning. More than 40 companies, faculties, schools, and associations joined with their own stands, activities, and demonstrations, turning the campus into a real showcase of what collaboration between education and industry can look like.

What makes these programs special is that they go beyond a single event. Infobip Sparks also includes campus visits, guest lectures in schools, participation in competitions, and student practice placements. That wider ecosystem helps us keep the connection with young people alive throughout the year, not only when a conference or workshop is happening.

The bigger goal is to bridge the gap between education and industry. We want students to see that technology is not something distant or abstract — it is something they can build, shape, and use to solve real problems. And we want schools to have a partner that helps bring those future skills closer to everyday learning.

That is why Infobip Sparks and School of the Future remain such an important part of how we work with youth: they help us invest in curiosity, confidence, and the next generation of builders.