On April 21st–22nd, in Otwock - took place a nationwide hackathon for secondary school students organized by Sanoma and the publishing house Nowa Era. The event was held under the patronage of the Embassy of Finland in Poland. Students worked on solutions addressing everyday school challenges, combining knowledge, creativity, and technology.



School HackDay was part of the HackDays4Learning program, carried out annually by Sanoma Learning. This initiative brings together project teams to develop educational solutions based on real problems and user needs.

Ten teams from across Poland took part in the event. Each team consisted of five students and a teacher. Participants worked on their own concepts, going through successive stages of the design process: from defining the problem, through developing a solution, to preparing a prototype and presenting it to the jury.

Before the competition began, teams participated in a preparatory series that included specially designed webinars led by Sanoma Learning experts, covering topics such as design thinking, vibe coding, prototyping, presentation, and storytelling. 
 

 
"What we saw during School HackDay reflects well the direction of change in education worldwide. Education systems are developing very dynamically today, and key roles are played by technology, new competencies, and the growing expectations of students, including the need to better tailor learning to their individual pace and abilities. The best solutions are created through collaboration—between students, teachers, and experts"  - Rob Kolkman, President and CEO of Sanoma 



The theme of this year’s edition was “Hack The Flow,” focusing on organizing the learning process. The starting point was students’ everyday experiences: information overload, difficulties in setting priorities, and a sense of chaos in learning.

The projects developed addressed, among other things, organizing study materials, planning learning, and tracking progress, with a strong emphasis on adapting the learning process to individual student needs, such as pace of work, level of mastery, and scope of required content. Students proposed solutions in the form of apps, platforms, and interactive tools that organize content and support a more personalized approach to learning, making it clearer and more manageable. 
 
A perspective that matters

School HackDay was held under the patronage of the Embassy of Finland in Poland. The event was attended by Ambassador Päivi Maarit Laine, who commented on the presented projects and the participants’ way of thinking.

"Learning should be understandable, structured, and give students a sense of agency. What stands out most after this event is the courage of young people to propose changes and their willingness to co-create education. The future of education largely lies in the hands of the young - their ideas, sensitivity, and approach to learning. We do not learn for school; we learn for life.” – she said. 

The solutions developed during School HackDay do not end with the event. They serve as a starting point for further work, shaping them into forms that can be implemented on a larger scale. In this way, students’ ideas become part of a broader process of developing educational products, in which user experience influences the direction of change.

School HackDay introduces the student perspective into the design of education in a direct and practical way. Instead of merely describing their needs, it gives them a voice and tools to create solutions. 

This approach shifts the focus - from designing solutions for students to designing with them. In practice, this means a shorter path from problem to solution and a greater chance that the tools developed will be genuinely useful in everyday learning. 
 
"In Nowa Era, we feel a special responsibility for the direction in which education is developing. We are pleased to have been able to organize School HackDay. This initiative gives a voice to students and teachers and helps us better understand their needs. We consistently develop our solutions so they keep pace with the changing world and genuinely support everyday learning. I warmly congratulate all participants for their commitment, creativity, and openness to collaboration, and I would also like to extend special thanks to the teachers who supported their students with their knowledge and experience in this initiative.” – said Managing Director of Nowa Era, Andrzej J. Kozłowski. 

Awards: 



1st place was awarded to the team “Niedźwiadki / Teddybears” from the Stanisław Staszic XIV General Secondary School, recognized for their mature research approach, accurate understanding of how the human brain works, and an original concept of personalized learning with strong implementation potential in modern education.


2nd place went to the team “Rycerze Kazika” from the Kazimierz Wielki General Secondary School in Koło, distinguished for a clear and engaging presentation, strong focus on user experience, and a solution addressing real needs, developed and refined during the hackathon with further growth potential. 
3rd place was awarded to the team “Mate it work” from the General Stefan Rowecki “Grot” Economic Schools Complex in Opole, recognized for an unconventional and creative approach combining hardware and software layers, effectively addressing real user problems, as well as for time-saving and safety aspects and high scalability of the proposed solution.


3rd place was awarded to the team “Mate it work” from the General Stefan Rowecki “Grot” Economic Schools Complex in Opole, recognized for an unconventional and creative approach combining hardware and software layers, effectively addressing real user problems, as well as for time-saving and safety aspects and high scalability of the proposed solution.


About Sanoma Learning

Sanoma Learning is Europe's leading K12 learning company, serving about 25 million students across our markets. We support teachers and students with best-in-class learning content and solutions to help all students reach their potential. Our blended offering includes printed and digital learning materials, digital platforms, and AI solutions – for primary, secondary and vocational education – and we continue to grow our reach across Europe.

We develop our learning materials and solutions in close collaboration with teachers and students to truly understand their needs and aspirations. By combining deep pedagogical expertise with high-quality content, innovative technology and responsible use of AI, we create positive impact and help shape the future of K12 education.