Educational Program

Oracle Education Foundation is on a mission to help young people develop the technical skills and creative confidence to design solutions for people, the planet, the present, and the future.

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.

abstract images
partners

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 information

How 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.

circuit playground
game design

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.

app design
neural networks

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.

internet of things
3d design

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

Oracle Education Foundation 3D Design Class for Girls
All Jacked Up—A Student 3D Project Presented by Oracle Education Foundation
Conservation Tech with Oracle Education Foundation and National Geographic

Photo gallery

Ann Richards students

Ann Richards School students learn to write code that lights up neopixels, part of designing a solution for a high school athlete.

3D Design & Production

A d.tech student carefully examines her prototype.

Circuit Playground device

Eastside students test their prototype of a smart backpack that uses a Circuit Playground device to remind hikers to maintain good posture.

building a prototype using an Arduino

Students from d.tech excited about the design challenge in their class.

Chatbots4Good

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.

Ann Richards student

A student at Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders gets the attention of an Oracle Volunteer.

selfie with an Oracle Volunteer

Eastside College Preparatory School students enjoy a happy moment with an Oracle Volunteer.

Oracle Education Foundation at a glance

23,325volunteer hours
2,188instructional hours
83%increase in student comfort with technology in FY21–FY22
602volunteer instances
2,312student instances
80%of students feel confident applying design thinking in FY21–FY22