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BRAINFINITY detectives

Learn to solve!

Brainfinity is a unique problem-solving competition in the world. Students 12 to 19 years old are challenged to be researchers and detectives; to use their brains to think creatively and produce solutions to real-life problems, and to work in teams using all the benefits of technology. It has 3 stages: Brainfinity problems, Brainfinity Challenge (the online) and the Brainfinity Final (live event)

Shortlisted
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Overview

HundrED shortlisted this innovation

HundrED has shortlisted this innovation to one of its innovation collections. The information on this page has been checked by HundrED.

Web presence

2018

Established

2.62K

Children

6

Countries
Target group
Students
Updated
September 2021
The vision of our project is to inspire students to think creatively and solve problems independently, in order to prosper in an uncertain future.

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

Education should prepare students for life. This doesn’t happen with traditional methods. Students do not want to study the old way. They like challenges.
We wanted to encourage children to think differently, putting them in a position to play, compete, research data, communicate, collaborate, connect known facts, all in the attempt to solve problems.
That way students want and like to learn.

What does your innovation look like in practice?

Teachers challenge students to become detectives, and to compete. They do not teach, they become mentors.
Students do the research. This way, they get practical knowledge and applicable skills through teamwork.

The research is done using IT – the teacher provides guidance and fosters critical thinking through discussion. This way, children improve digital and financial literacy, practice data and information analysis, and develop creative, critical and problem-based thinking skills.
Students have no fear of giving the wrong answer. Unlike standard tasks and tests which have a single correct solution, problem-solving includes multiple answers.

Students love challenges, riddles and mysteries. They are learning while having fun.
It is suitable for all types of students. Problem-solving develops students’ personality and it’s equally favourable for the visual, logical, verbal and kinetic student-types. It also allows the participation of students with special needs.

How has it been spreading?

In 2019 the project was piloted in Serbia. 35 teams (4 members each) took part and their reactions were encouraging. 2020 brought 333 teams of participants 11 to 14 years old from all over Serbia. Some teams from the region (Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina) also took part in the competition.
Due to the great interest, new categories of competitors were included in 2021: 15 – 19-year-old students.

In 2021, a partnership was established between Slovenian, Serbian, Bulgarian and Portuguese schools that want to conduct the competition in their countries within the Erasmus+ program.

Our goal is to further internationalize this competition.

If I want to try it, what should I do?

So far, Brainfinity was held in the Serbian language. Encourage us to make it international and create tasks in English – let us know you are interested.

You need to complete 5 steps to participate: think of an original team name, find a teacher-mentor, create a team logo, make a team photo and create a team email address. Then let your Brainfinity adventure begin!

Spread of the innovation

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