Mini EXPO 2025: Experience the Future First-Hand!

Parents, program partners, guests, and teachers – people connected to the program – tried out activities at the Open Future centers in Prešov, Zvolen, and Trnava. They took part in prepared challenges and enjoyed a creative afternoon in the company of children who are part of the Open Future program.

The series of end-of-year events at the centers kicked off in Prešov, hosted at the Važecká Primary School. Since the center opened only in November 2024, this was the very first major event for parents, partners, and representatives of the school and the city of Prešov. The children had been carefully preparing for several weeks, creating activities for guests and designing invitations. They went through waves of stress and joy in anticipation of their first big event.

Through the activities, we successfully drew the grown-ups into the center’s atmosphere. They tried working with a 3D pen, reflected on their own behavior and coping strategies at the “Tree of Emotions,” and came up with solutions for challenges in their communities at a stand dedicated to entrepreneurship.

Guests in Trnava also got to try working with ozobots.

Parents: The Open Future Broadens Children’s Horizons

The Zvolen Mini EXPO also offered a colorful taste of the Open Future activities. Attendees included the principal of ALMA Elementary School, Zuzana Brhlíková, as well as Júlia Žabková from the Živica association, which is the school’s awarding authority. Zvolen’s Deputy Mayor, Ľubomír Zdút – Šťastný, also joined the event. He knows the Open Future not only as a city representative – the city being one of our partners – but also as a parent, since his son has been in the program for three years. “Thanks to the Open Future, my son started looking forward to school, especially on the days when he could spend afternoons at your center,” he began, adding with humor: “The program may be free, but it turned out expensive for me. My son wanted to have the technologies he tried at the center also at home – like a 3D printer or the ozobots.”

Among the guests in Zvolen were also parents of fifth-graders who were so impressed by the program that they filled out applications for their children on the spot, so they can join in September 2025. The Zvolen Mini EXPO was organized by second-year students under the guidance of coordinator Maťo, and featured program demonstrations as well as hands-on experiences for guests.

After the opening ceremony at the new centre, we welcomed the partners of Open future and other distinguished guests at a festive reception.

The Prešov Mini EXPO was attended by Mayor František Oľha, who took part in the activities.

Can children teach seniors how to use a tablet and search the internet? Our second-years from Trnava did it successfully and presented their social innovation to the guests at the Mini EXPO in Trnava in early June. The intergenerational learning project was a success – seniors’ interest in such training exceeded our capacity. Summarizing on behalf of the group, second-year student Adam said: “Our project was focused on helping seniors, specifically with searching the internet. We helped them find recipes on YouTube, since cooking is something we all encounter every day. It helped us empathize with others and learn to cooperate better.” The second-years from the Trnava center, who prepared this training and successfully delivered it twice in cooperation with the Orange Digital Centre in Bratislava, presented the preparation, course, and their impressions to their parents and guests.

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We Involved University Students and Our Alumni in Mini EXPO

Beáta Krajčovičová, principal of Maxima Gorkého Elementary School in Trnava, sees the presence of the Open Future at the school as a great advantage: “Joining the Open Future project was a good step. Pupils like coming to the club, they look forward to the activities, and they see that they have support and can turn to someone other than teachers. Together with the facilitators, we can help students achieve their goals, or even replace a home environment if they lack support there.”

Children also prepared entrepreneurship-themed activities at the Trnava Mini EXPO.

The Trnava event included demonstrations of working with ozobots and activities for developing entrepreneurial skills. Zuzana Polomíčková, whose son is part of the Open Future, says the program broadens his horizons: “After joining the Open Future program, my son became more thoughtful. He always carefully considers his steps before acting. I see the program very positively. As parents, we often can’t provide these experiences to our children. Anything extra that can broaden their horizons and show them things they can benefit from is valuable.”

An irreplaceable part of the Mini EXPO events were our volunteers – university students who have been cooperating with the program long-term. They helped with organization and were an important part of each event.

Lucia Gregorová, Senior Manager of the Open Future, also highlighted the cooperation with the Open Future alumni and young photographer Linda Obernauerová: “We are very happy that the photo coverage of the Zvolen event was provided by the promising photographer Linda, a graduate of our program, who is currently studying photography at high school in Banská Bystrica. We’re glad she had the opportunity to showcase her talent.” Similarly, alumni Stela, Veronika, and Liana helped organize the Mini EXPO in Zvolen. We see it as a positive sign when our participants stay in touch even after leaving elementary school and remain part of the Open Future during their further studies.

The Zvolen Mini EXPO was photographed by the Open Future alumni Linda Obernauerová.