UNICEF expands Tinkering with Tech to new countries with stronger AI focus
Arm, Micro:bit Educational Foundation and Raspberry Pi Foundation join expansion as initiative moves into Lao PDR, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
UNICEF is expanding its Tinkering with Tech initiative to additional countries, deepening its focus on artificial intelligence literacy and 21st century digital skills as global pressure grows to modernize classroom learning.
UNICEF and strategic partner Arm, alongside implementing partners the Micro:bit Educational Foundation and the Raspberry Pi Foundation, confirmed that the program will extend beyond its 2024 pilot markets of Honduras, Maldives, Montenegro and Viet Nam to Lao PDR, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
The move positions Tinkering with Tech as part of a broader effort to connect AI, computational thinking and digital skills directly to classroom practice at a time when more than a quarter of a billion children remain out of school globally and learning gaps persist.
Scaling AI literacy through classroom practice
Led by UNICEF’s Global Learning Innovation Hub in Helsinki, the initiative provides hands-on, experiential learning for students and teachers, with a focus on computational thinking and practical AI skills.
Arm, which has supported the program since launch, will continue to play a strategic role as it scales.
“Tinkering with Tech helps young people develop the creativity, problem-solving and digital skills they need in a fast-changing world,” says Fran Baker, Director of Sustainability and Social Impact at Arm. “We’re proud to continue our partnership with UNICEF to help democratise access to AI for children everywhere.”
The expansion also signals a shift from pilot delivery toward broader system integration, with partners aligning teacher development, device-based learning and AI literacy frameworks.
Strengthening teacher confidence and curriculum integration
The Micro:bit Educational Foundation, an implementing partner in the first phase, will continue supporting professional development while integrating design thinking with micro:bit devices.
“The Tinkering with Tech project and our collaborations with the UNICEF Global Learning Innovation Hub have already had a huge impact on building both teacher and student confidence. We are excited to become a partner and expand this project with Learning Pathways for AI and micro:bit CreateAI, to empower even more children to become innovators, and not just consumers, of AI,” says Melanie Washington, Chief Partnerships Officer, Micro:bit Educational Foundation.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation joins as a new implementing partner, contributing its Experience AI program to support responsible AI integration into curricula and non-formal education settings.
“Through this partnership with UNICEF, we’re supporting teachers to develop the confidence and skills they need to teach AI in ways that are engaging, relevant and grounded in real-world contexts for their students. Our shared aim is to ensure young people develop a strong foundational understanding of AI technologies – and the knowledge and confidence to shape how these technologies affect their lives and communities,” says Philip Colligan CBE, CEO, Raspberry Pi Foundation.
Equity, inclusion and system-level ambition
UNICEF frames the initiative within a wider equity agenda, emphasizing inclusion for girls, children with disabilities and marginalized groups, and alignment with national systems.
“To support the responsible deployment of EdTech, AI and other digital solutions across the globe, we need to equip children and teachers with skills fit for the 21st century,” says Frank van Cappelle, Head of UNICEF’s Global Learning Innovation Hub. “This means fostering AI and digital literacy, advancing education in science, technology, engineering and math, ensuring equity and inclusion for girls, children with disabilities and other marginalized groups, and building locally driven EdTech solutions in partnership with governments, the private sector and educators that deliver lasting results.”
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