When technology meets purpose, remarkable discoveries happen. Across the globe, from Zimbabwe to Haiti to Afghanistan, students are finding their potential through an unexpected collaboration between Jamf's MATTER Innovation Hubs and Sphero's programmable robots. This collaboration isn't just about teaching coding; it's about creating pathways to futures these students never thought possible.
The MATTER Innovation Hubs (MIHs) operate on a simple but powerful principle: give students access to technology, combine it with excellent mentorship, and watch them transform their communities. Using the TEAL+ model (Technology-Enabled Active Learning plus Personalized Learning Using STEAM), these hubs prove that when you make STEAM accessible and engaging, students don't just learn, they thrive.
Why Sphero? Making Abstract Concepts Come Alive
At the heart of every MIH sits a Sphero robot collection that perfectly aligns with the TEAL+ programming goals. Sphero programmable robots check all the boxes for effective STEAM education:
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Physical-to-digital connection brings coding concepts into the real world. When students write code and immediately see their Sphero robot respond, abstract programming logic suddenly makes sense.
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Adaptive difficulty and accessibility ensure every learner can participate, regardless of their starting point or physical abilities. Students at King George the Sixth school in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, where over 70% have physical disabilities, code alongside their peers with equal success.
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Student-paced learning means no one gets left behind. Sphero lessons are designed for scaffolded learning, so students can be met where they are and can navigate challenges at their own speed.
Thanks to Jamf's device and classroom management capabilities, this seamless experience becomes even more powerful. With apps pre-configured and classroom workflows optimized, educators spend zero time troubleshooting technology and maximum time fostering curiosity. Students stay engaged without distractions, often complaining when it's time to leave the hub for their next class.
From Student to Software Engineer: Tendai's Transformative Journey
Sometimes one person's story captures the power of an entire movement. Meet Tendai Takura, who went from curious student to “Sphero Edu Expert” to Software Engineer at Jamf, all because she wandered into the Victoria Falls MIH one day.
"I hadn't planned to visit the innovation hub that day," Tendai recalls, "but my computer science teacher encouraged us to explore because it was new." What she discovered changed everything.
Watching a friend demo a RVR programmed to detect and respond to colors, Tendai felt something click. "Robotics had always seemed out of reach, something I only saw on TV," she explains. But here was proof that these technologies were within her grasp.
From that moment, Tendai became a regular at the hub, experimenting with Sphero BOLTs and diving deep into the project book. She loved how block coding made functions tangible – building and combining them to create something real. Her passion caught the attention of Dave Saltmarsh, director of the MATTER Career Readiness Institute, who noticed she always had something new to present to visitors.
The breakthrough came when facilitator Rodwell introduced micro:bits. "I was amazed by the possibilities of connecting micro:bits to the Sphero RVR robot, coding new behaviors, and integrating sensors," Tendai remembers. She built a proximity sensor system that stopped the RVR when approaching objects; a simple demonstration of accident prevention technology that showcased her growing expertise.
When former Jamf CEO Dean Hager saw Tendai's work, he asked a crucial question: "What happens to talented students like her after the program?" Learning that most would end up in tourism, local shops, or selling items roadside, he knew this represented massive wasted potential. That conversation led to the creation of the MATTER Career Readiness Institute (MCRI), with Tendai as one of its first success stories.
Today, Tendai works as a Software Engineer at Jamf and has already been promoted within her first year. Her journey from experimenting with a single RVR to earning the “Sphero Edu Expert” title proves what's possible when accessible technology meets intentional mentorship.
Skills That Transfer: What Students Really Gain
The magic of Sphero extends far beyond learning to code. Students develop a comprehensive skill set that prepares them for any career path:
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Technical foundations start with coding concepts like loops and functions, but quickly expand to debugging, problem solving, and iterative design thinking. When code doesn't work as expected, students learn to troubleshoot systematically – a skill that transfers to any technical role.
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Critical thinking develops as students tackle real-world problems with their robots. They learn to think outside the box, combining Sphero with micro:bits to create solutions that weren't immediately obvious. The visual feedback helps them understand where their logic needs adjustment.
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Collaboration and teamwork emerge naturally through group projects that mirror real workplace environments. Students take on roles as coders, designers, and testers, learning to combine different perspectives into cohesive solutions.
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Communication and presentation skills grow as students explain their projects to visitors and peers. Learning to articulate their process, from initial plan through execution to lessons learned, proves invaluable in any professional setting.
Most importantly, students build confidence. Seeing their code come to life in a tangible way creates a powerful sense of accomplishment that encourages further exploration and risk-taking in learning.
Breaking Down Barriers: STEAM for Everyone, Everywhere
The true power of the Jamf-MIH-Sphero connection lies in making STEAM accessible to students who might never have encountered these opportunities otherwise.
In Haiti, before civil unrest forced hub closures, students living in structures made of trash experienced robotics for the first time. Some wore school uniforms as their nicest clothes, yet within hours, they were confidently programming Sphero BOLTs through mazes, their faces lighting up as colors changed and motors spun.
In one community where access to formal schooling was suddenly taken away, young girls quickly mastered navigation and loops, celebrating with programmed spins and color changes when their robots completed challenges. Even after being shut out of classrooms, facilitators reported girls teaching coding concepts to family members using verbal commands on tiled floors, transforming the Sphero Edu App’s block-based coding logic into a game of human navigation.
This summer's Girls' Code Camp in Zimbabwe used Sphero as the foundation to spark early STEAM interest. The goal isn't just engagement – it’s to provide scholarships for continued education and build a stronger pipeline of young women ready for technical careers.
These stories share a common thread: Sphero makes STEAM accessible, engaging, and meaningful regardless of circumstance. When students can see their code create movement, light, and sound in the physical world, programming transforms from an abstract concept to a creative tool.
Transforming Educators, Too
The Sphero impact reaches beyond students to fundamentally change how educators approach teaching. Facilitators across the MIH network describe profound shifts in their practice and mindset.
Tsitsi Murohoke, Community Education Program Manager in Zimbabwe, emphasizes the power of hands-on learning: "Young learners learn better and understand using tangible things and by doing. There's maximum student engagement. There's a shift in educators' mindsets as they realize that by allowing students to explore and figure out stuff on their own, they develop critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity."
Faith Mathe at Victoria Falls Primary School describes her transformation: "Working with Sphero has encouraged me to adopt a more hands-on, inquiry-based approach to STEAM education. It has pushed me to move beyond traditional instruction and into facilitating active learning experiences that promote creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration."
The changes are both practical and philosophical. Educators learn to design real-world problem-solving tasks, facilitate collaborative projects where students take specialized roles, and incorporate cross-curricular learning that connects math, science, and storytelling within single robotics challenges.
Perhaps most importantly, they embrace iterative design thinking, where failure becomes a part of the learning process. As facilitator Purity Handiseni notes, "Using Sphero has increased value on student voice, choice, and autonomy as they grow to create, collaborate, and evaluate their decisions on different projects."
The Future: Deeper Collaboration, Greater Impact
The success of Sphero within the Jamf MIH network points toward exciting possibilities for expanded collaboration. Current integration already demonstrates what's possible when educational technology aligns perfectly with pedagogical goals, but there's potential for so much more.
Imagine Sphero as an employee connection in the MCRI program, providing mentorship, technical training, and internship opportunities for graduating students. Picture hackathons and specialized Code Camps led by Sphero's development team, sharing real-world applications of the skills students are building.
The vision extends to ongoing professional development for facilitators worldwide, ensuring they can maximize Sphero's potential across diverse learning contexts. Device support and donations could expand access to even more underserved communities.
This collaboration represents something bigger than traditional corporate social responsibility. It's about building a global pipeline of future-ready talent while demonstrating that accessible tools and intentional programs create life-changing opportunities.
Creating Tomorrow's Innovators Today
The collaboration between Jamf's MATTER Innovation Hubs and Sphero proves a fundamental truth. When you combine accessible technology with purposeful education, students don't just learn skills, they discover possibilities they never knew existed. This is known as Purposeful Deployment at Jamf.
From Tendai's journey to software engineering to girls in Afghanistan teaching coding concepts after losing access to formal education, these stories showcase education's transformative power. They remind us that behind every statistic about STEAM education gaps are individual students waiting for their chance to shine.
As these programs continue expanding globally, they're not just preparing students for existing careers but nurturing innovators who will solve tomorrow's challenges. By making STEAM accessible, engaging, and meaningful for every student, regardless of their circumstances, this relationship is quite literally changing the world, one student at a time.
The future belongs to students who can think critically, solve problems creatively, and collaborate effectively. Thanks to initiatives like the Jamf MATTER Innovation Hubs, powered by tools like Sphero, that future is looking brighter than ever.