BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — The Slovak Ministry of Education, in collaboration with one of the world’s most respected technology universities, the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), the Digital Coalition, and the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, is launching the Learning Continuum program in Slovakia. Its goal is to develop entrepreneurship, creative thinking, problem-solving skills, and the ability of young people to turn their ideas into real-world solutions.
Slovakia needs young people who can generate new ideas, critically evaluate information, and find solutions to today’s challenges. The Learning Continuum program is designed to build these capabilities. Developed in partnership with Georgia Tech, the program has already helped create successful startups around the world. Slovak students entering their final year of high school this September can register now.
“What makes the Learning Continuum program exceptional is that it brings the methodologies and experience of one of the world’s leading technology universities to Slovakia. Young people will not just learn about innovation and entrepreneurship. They will actively create them, work with international experts, and tackle real-world challenges. We want Slovak students to have access to world-class opportunities without having to leave the country,” said Minister of Education Tomáš Drucker.
The Learning Continuum represents a long-term talent development model that connects secondary education, higher education, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Its first phase is the InVenture Mind Program, designed for students in the final years of high school in the Bratislava region.
“This program transforms the challenge of talent outflow into an opportunity. We want to show young people that they can develop and realize their ideas right here in Slovakia,” said David Bridges, vice president of Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute. “It’s not just about creating new startups, it’s about building a generation capable of creating, innovating, and delivering solutions for the country’s future.”
Participants will complete a 10-week program led by experts from Georgia Tech and Slovak partners. During this time, they will work on real societal and technological challenges, while developing critical thinking, teamwork, presentation skills, and the ability to validate and test their ideas. The program will culminate in a concrete project or functional prototype.
The initiative is part of a two-year pilot project. In the first year, it will focus on high school students; in the second year, it will expand to university students. The aim is to create a continuous pathway that allows young people to develop their ideas from school through real-world application.
“The future of the economy will depend on people who can create innovation, work with technology, and turn ideas into products with real value. Through the Learning Continuum program, we want to show young people that they can gain a world-class education at home, collaborate with experts, and develop projects that can grow into successful startups or companies of the future,” said Pavol Šedo, the Digital Coalition’s chief operating officer. “If we want to remain competitive as a country, we must invest in talent and create reasons for it to stay and grow in Slovakia.”
The best projects will receive financial support from the Ministry of Education. In the pilot phase, about $27,000 has been allocated for participating teams. The winning project will receive about $11,000, with about $7,500 for second place, about $5,500 for third, and about $3,300 for the audience award. Successful graduates will also receive a Georgia Tech certificate.
The program is primarily intended for high school students in the Bratislava region, as it includes in-person workshops and team meetings that require attendance. However, students from other regions of Slovakia may apply if they can regularly attend all in-person activities in Bratislava. They will have the same opportunities as other participants.
The Learning Continuum is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Education, Georgia Tech, the Digital Coalition, and the Slovak University of Technology. Its goal is to create a talent development model that can gradually be expanded across Slovakia.
Registration for the first phase of the program, the InVenture Mind Program, is open at: slovakia.innovate.gatech.edu.