Inclusion in Action

Fostering Empathy and Creativity with the CYBATHLON@school Contest

Authors

  • Tobias M. Schifferle Zurich University of Teacher Education https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1018-7158
  • Nina Kollegger Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Zurich (ETHZ)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21240/constr/2025/80.X

Keywords:

Inclusion, STEM Education, Maker Education, K-12

Abstract

The CYBATHLON @school Program, part of the CYBATHLON initiative, integrates STEM education with empathy-building by engaging students in creating prototypes of assistive technologies for individuals with disabilities. The CYBATHLON @school Contest invited school classes to tackle the challenges faced by real or hypothetical individuals with disabilities through design thinking and prototyping, fostering creativity and empathy. More than 300 students from 16 classes (Grades 4 to 9) submitted 125 posters showcasing their innovative solutions. Winning teams earned makerspace access and public recognition during the CYBATHLON 2024 competition. This poster presents the contest structure, materials, and early insights from student projects, offering a possible role model for combining STEM education with inclusion and creativity.

References

Archer, M., DeWitt, J., Davenport, C., Keenan, O., Coghill, L., Christodoulou, A., Durbin, S., Campbell, H., & Hou, L. (2021). Going beyond the one-off: How can STEM engagement programmes with young people have real lasting impact? Research for All, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.14324/RFA.05.1.07

Bolli, T., Dändliker, L., Golub, N., Rageth, L., Renold, U., & Zubovic, A. (2024). MINT-Erwerbstätigkeit fördern: Was bedeutet das? [Application/pdf]. ETH Zurich. https://doi.org/10.3929/ETHZ-B-000710075

Schifferle, T. (2024, October). CYBATHLON @school scale up inclusion – towards a new low cost, high scale STEM module approach. Constructionism / FabLearn 2023. https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000700103

Schifferle, T. M., & Kollegger, N. (2021). Enabling agile rapid product development in K12 classrooms by enhancing an educational exoskeleton. FabLearn Europe / MakeEd 2021 - An International Conference on Computing, Design and Making in Education, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1145/3466725.3466768

Downloads

Published

24-06-2025

Conference Proceedings Volume

Section

Poster

Categories

How to Cite

Inclusion in Action: Fostering Empathy and Creativity with the CYBATHLON@school Contest. (2025). Constructionism Conference Proceedings, 8, 491-493. https://doi.org/10.21240/constr/2025/80.X