How this Stockholm school teaches children to think critically about technology

Striking this balance is always top of mind at Stockholm International School (SIS), says Sandra Loureiro, the School’s Head of Technology. “Our approach has always been to use technology deliberately to strengthen learning, and not to follow trends,” she explains. 

For example, while AI is currently a major focus across wider society, its introduction within the SIS learning environment is intentionally gradual. 

While students are made aware of the technology from primary school, they only begin to use it actively to support their work in middle school. The human dimension will be emphasised, even as their skills and understanding of the technology develops. 

Students will be guided to engage with AI in increasingly thoughtful and responsible ways, using it to brainstorm ideas, research topics, and enhance and personalise their education. Alongside this, they follow the rigorous IB curriculum, building strong foundations in traditional subjects and developing soft skills that remain essential in any future career. 

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This approach reflects SIS’s wider mission: to prepare students for the labour market of tomorrow, where technology will play an increasingly central role, but where transferable core skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity continue to carry equal weight.

Preparing students for life online

SIS’s commitment to developing digital literacy starts young, with technology integrated into the learning experience from primary school upwards. But it’s not just about using devices for note-taking or a quick Google search; it’s about learning to use technology safely, ethically, and responsibly. 

Taught using the Common Sense Media framework, the Digital Citizenship programme ensures students develop a healthy relationship with tech from an early age. “With the Digital Citizenship curriculum, we ensure that students learn how to behave responsibly online and understand issues such as privacy, well-being, and communication,” says Loureiro.

Delivered through a combination of lessons and ICT classes, the programme covers topics such as online safety, respectful communication, media literacy, and digital balance. These themes are revisited and built on over the students’ time at SIS, equipping them not just to use technology, but to approach it thoughtfully and responsibly as they grow.  

A taste of tomorrow’s workplace

Beyond the basics, a cohort of SIS students is putting their digital skills to the test through a growing robotics programme, gaining hands-on experience in one of the world’s most future-proof industries. 

The middle school programme participates in the FIRST LEGO League, a Scandinavian competition held annually at Tekniska Museet. At the upper school level, students take part in the more advanced FIRST Tech Challenge, a programme so specialised that SIS is currently the only school in Scandinavia competing in it. 

For their first competition, the team travelled to Zeist in the Netherlands, where they placed fourth overall and brought home the first-place Outreach Award. 

The SIS team’s robot during the FIRST Tech Challenge competition.

It’s advanced, interdisciplinary work that requires far more than building a functioning robot, explains Loureiro. “They design it, programme it, iterate, and improve it. They also have to develop a whole engineering portfolio and run outreach initiatives promoting STEM in the wider community.” 

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For students like Jasmine, who is in Year 11 at SIS and hopes to study mechanical engineering at university, the programme has given her a taste of what it’s like to work in a cutting-edge engineering environment.

The team meets each Monday before splitting into smaller groups and tackling tasks such as AI-assisted programming, mechanics, outreach, and finance. “We struggled a bit at first because we didn’t know each other very well,” recalls Jasmine. “However, with time, we were able to learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses, allowing us to have a much better relationship as a team.”

The structure mirrors how real-world teams operate, giving students the chance to experience the kinds of challenges and situations they’re likely to encounter in their future careers. Soft skills such as collaboration and creativity also play a huge role, says Jasmine, adding that the team needs to “find creative solutions to problems when things don't go right.” 

This kind of teamwork and hands-on problem solving “mirrors how innovation happens in the real world”, says Loureiro. It’s an approach designed to prepare them for the demands – and dynamics – of modern workplaces. “They have the opportunity to solve complex problems and to work together under real constraints and pressure.” 

Ready for the unknown

With automation, AI, and other new technologies continuously redefining the world of work, SIS ensures students like Jasmine feel equipped to tackle whatever tomorrow brings. 

“I don’t know what AI in the future will look like exactly,” she says, “but the robotics programme has helped me embrace and experience the possibilities that AI provides – and I believe I’ll be more prepared for what the future holds.”

Jasmine’s sights are set on pursuing an engineering career – she hopes to one day design rollercoasters and machines – and she believes that the combination of digital fluency, soft skills, and academic rigour at SIS is paving the way towards her dream profession.

“SIS has been a great help in shaping my future the way I wish to go,” she says. “I feel that the opportunities I’ve had will allow me to pursue and accomplish my goals.”

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