Educational Program
Oracle Education Foundation is on a mission to help young people develop the technical acumen and creative confidence to design outstanding solutions to people’s needs and the world’s problems.
In our program, students work alongside Oracle Volunteer coaches as they engage in multiday classes at the intersection of design thinking, futures thinking, coding, and physical computing.
Our partners
Oracle Education Foundation reaches students by collaborating with select schools and nonprofit organizations neighboring Oracle hubs. We offer in-person, virtual, and hybrid engagements that connect students to the talented people of Oracle.
Visit our Partners page for more informationHow it works
Oracle Education Foundation’s team of experienced educators designs curriculum for and with our partners. Foundation instructors deliver classes with the support of Oracle Volunteer coaches—technologists and businesspeople—who donate their time and talent to work with students.
Technical content
Each Foundation class focuses on a technical topic. Students engage with software and hardware, and use technology as a tool to solve problems.
Design thinking
Foundation classes employ a user-centered, empathetic design-thinking methodology for problem solving.
Futures thinking
Students engage in design challenges that also teach future skills such as how to make sense of loopy complex systems, build a pop-up crew, and befriend the machines.
Prototype
Students emerge from Foundation classes with the first iteration of a prototype they developed using design thinking, technical skills, and future skills learned in their class.
Educational classes
Here are some examples of classes in our current rotation.
Hello, Circuit Playground!
Learn to write code to interact with the world around us using the Circuit Playground, an all-in-one microcontroller device.
Experiential Game Design
Collaboratively create games to foster empathy and motivate positive behaviors in players.
App Design
Design and develop cross-platform mobile applications to help bring positive change to our world.
Neural Networks
Utilize neural networks and build image classifiers that solve real-world challenges.
Internet of Things
Create user-centered solutions in the form of smart wireless prototypes, leveraging real-time data in the cloud.
3D Design and Production
Turn ideas into tangible, three-dimensional prototypes using industry standard tools.
Presenting at Oracle events
Students frequently present and demo prototypes designed and developed in Oracle Education Foundation classes at conferences and special events.
Featured videos
Photo gallery
Ann Richards School students learn to write code that lights up neopixels, part of designing a solution for a high school athlete.
A d.tech student carefully examines her prototype.
Eastside students test their prototype of a smart backpack that uses a Circuit Playground device to remind hikers to maintain good posture.
Students from d.tech excited about the design challenge in their class.
d.tech students, with the support of an Oracle Volunteer, train their chatbot to teach school-aged children about wild animals in the Chatbots for Good class.
A student at Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders gets the attention of an Oracle Volunteer.
Eastside College Preparatory School students enjoy a happy moment with an Oracle Volunteer.