More than 150 teachers participated in the statistical literacy seminar “How to inspire students to explore data?”
On 17 October, the State Data Agency (Statistics Lithuania) organized an online statistical literacy seminar for teachers of all subjects titled “How to inspire students to explore data?” The event attracted great interest, with more than 150 teachers from various schools across Lithuania taking part.
The aim of the seminar was to encourage educators to integrate statistical data into the teaching process, demonstrate creative ways to use statistics, and improve students’ critical thinking and data analysis skills.
Event Presentations and Topics
The opening remarks were delivered by Sandra Karnilavičiūtė, a representative of the State Data Agency. She introduced the European Statistics Competition (2026), its process, objectives, and opportunities for Lithuanian schools.
Teacher Laura Girlevičienė, who accompanied the winning team, spoke about the Lithuanian team’s victory in the 2025 European Statistics Competition final. She shared her experience: discussing the preparation process, challenges, and the importance of motivation. All of this contributed to an excellent result at the international stage.
Kostas Gružas, a programmer at the State Data Agency, presented practical tools for data and statistical analysis: the Official Statistics Portal, the Database of Indicators, and GIS visualization capabilities that educators can use in the teaching process.
Justinas Brazaitis, a teacher at the Northern Lyceum, spoke about engaging students in creative data exploration. He shared insights on how to foster curiosity, motivate participation in competitions, and develop the ability to critically assess information. You can find the seminar recording here.
European Statistics Competition 2026
The seminar also introduced the upcoming European Statistics Competition (2026), which aims to encourage students to take an interest in statistics, develop the ability to critically assess information, and creatively apply data to solve real-world problems.
Registration for the competition began on October 20, 2025.
The competition consists of two stages – national and European:
- The National stage in Lithuania is organized by the State Data Agency. During this stage, student teams complete theoretical and practical tasks using official statistical sources.
- The European stage brings together winners of national competitions from across Europe, who compete for the title of best team in the international final.
Detailed information on registration, competition stages, rules, tasks, and awards is available on the State Data Agency website.
Developing Statistical Literacy – A Long-Term Initiative
Developing statistical literacy is one of the State Data Agency’s key priorities. The Agency aims to ensure that teachers and students can responsibly use, analyze, and interpret data, thereby strengthening information literacy and the ability to make data-driven decisions.
Regularly organized seminars, educational initiatives, and practical training help the education community discover new ways to integrate data into the learning process and encourage students to see statistics as an interesting and meaningful subject.
The State Data Agency invites teachers to actively participate in the European Statistics Competition (2026) and, together with their students, explore the diversity of the data world and engage with it creatively.