SR 
As part of the project "Smart Organic Agriculture – Makers Gardens, Nordeus Foundation in collaboration with partner organizations the Center for the Promotion of Science,and with the support of NLB Bank, will establish Makers Gardens within 12 Makers Labs at high schools across Serbia. These innovative outdoor gardens will serve as spaces where students and teachers can jointly explore, create, and connect with local and broader communities. The project aims to inspire students interested in science to further develop their interests through formal and informal education in various STEAME programs (science, technology, engineering, art, math, entrepreneurship).
High school students in Serbia often lack opportunities to collaborate with peers from other schools or solve practical challenges that could prepare them for real-world professional environments. Through this collaboration, students will be introduced to the potential of organic agriculture and the application of new technologies at an early stage of their development. It is crucial to strengthen Serbia's high schools, agricultural, and technical schools to integrate principles and various aspects of organic production into their curricula as soon as possible. Accordingly, the project "Smart Organic Agriculture – Makers Gardens" includes the following school pairings: “Petro Kuzmjak” Gymnasium from Ruski Krstur with the Agricultural School in Bač; Gymnasium and Technical School in Zaječar with the Agricultural School in Svilajnac; “Nikola Tesla” School Center with the Agricultural School in Vršac; Technical School in Kragujevac and the First Kragujevac Gymnasium with the Agricultural School in Kraljevo; and ETŠ “Mija Stanimirović” from Niš with the Agricultural School in Žitorađa.
As a key program partner, Ekonaut is responsible for building the Makers Gardens in all schools and providing education on sustainable agriculture. The Center for the Promotion of Science plays a significant role in training participants on digital tools and smart agriculture. The first Makers Garden was established in the spring of 2024 in the shared courtyard of the Gymnasium and Technical School in Zaječar, with additional small organic gardens planned for other school courtyards. These gardens will serve as "open laboratories" for students, equipped with digital tools like Arduino sensors to monitor conditions such as temperature, humidity, and soil quality. Using the collected data, students will optimize conditions for plant growth, integrating technology with nature. The program includes theoretical training on smart agriculture, supported by mentoring, workshops, and lectures by teachers and industry experts. Students will work in multidisciplinary teams to develop projects in their Makers Gardens, applying the technologies they've learned to solve practical problems. At the end of the project, a final event will be held where students will present their projects and solutions to teachers, peers, and the public. This process aims to prepare them for the digital future of agriculture, fostering practical, entrepreneurial, and teamwork skills.
In late September, the Nordeus Foundation brought together a group of high school teachers in Novi Sad, who, along with the Center for the Promotion of Science and Ekonaut, attended a two-day professional seminar. During the seminar, they visited the BioSens Institute, where scientists working on agricultural digitalization showcased their laboratories, projects, and the AgroSens digital platform. This platform supports farmers and agricultural companies in monitoring crop conditions and planning agricultural activities. Participants also learned about BioSens' Center for Sensor Technology, focused on developing devices to measure optical, physical, and electromagnetic properties of the environment. Teachers from high schools participating in the Makers Labs project attended specialized workshops with Vladimir Milutinović and Miljan Peljević from Ekonaut. They were trained to design and develop student projects utilizing the resources of their Makers Labs and gardens. With the support of modern technologies, this training equips teachers to enable students to keep pace with innovations in agriculture and digitalization.
Through this initiative, we aim to empower high schools to understand and integrate the principles and various aspects of organic production into their curricula, preparing for the digital future of agriculture and sustainable production. Simultaneously, we hope the project will inspire and empower high school students (from agricultural, technical schools, and gymnasiums) to create solutions for more sustainable agricultural production, combining traditional methods with innovations to preserve biodiversity, improve endangered ecosystems, and produce healthy food.
