A total of 106 teams and 316 students from Riga’s general education schools have signed up for “Riga Puzzle Day”, a large logic-based competition taking place on 7 November at the event venue Fantadroms.
The game is inspired by a popular format developed at Harvard University. Teams work through a series of logic challenges, testing how well they can think critically and solve problems under pressure. Over the past few years the idea has gained traction in Latvia’s secondary schools and has already taken place in Ogre, Sigulda and Cēsis, reaching more than 500 students. This is the third year that the Riga City Council, together with RTU Riga Business School (RBS) and partners Luminor Bank, Code4Europe, Brain Games, MyFitness, Orkla and the IT Education Fund, is hosting the event in Latvia.
“More than 300 students from Riga are joining ‘Riga Puzzle Day’ this year. It shows how much young people enjoy challenges that push them to think in new ways. I believe the most valuable skills of the future are not just collecting or analysing data but being able to make smart decisions in an overwhelming flow of information. Our young people will live in a world full of data and tools that help them explore it, but they will still need judgment to see what matters and what doesn’t. This game, built on a methodology created at one of the world’s leading universities, helps them train exactly that skill,” says Claudio Rivera, Director of Bachelor Programs at RBS.
Laima Geikina, Chair of the Education, Culture and Sports Committee of the Riga City Council, has also noticed that students are increasingly eager to join activities that let them think and work differently.
“‘Riga Puzzle Day’ is a great example of how the learning environment in Riga is becoming more innovative by blending creativity, cooperation and experience-based learning. Events like this show that our young people are ready for challenges and are eager to grow. For the municipality, it is important to support this drive and create an environment where thinking, curiosity and teamwork come together. Learning is not only about knowledge, it is about mindset, the courage to ask questions and the will to find answers,” she says.
Gita Juršāne, Deputy Head of Luminor Bank in Latvia, adds:
“This is the third year we are supporting this engaging and educational event. We believe that learning and expanding one’s horizon can go hand in hand with healthy competition. Encouraging students to understand and appreciate the exact sciences is very important today. ‘Riga Puzzle Day’ helps them build problem-solving and logical thinking skills, connect with others and strengthen their teamwork abilities.”
Students will compete for valuable prizes from event partners as well as cash awards funded by the Riga City Council: 900 EUR for first place, 600 EUR for second place and 300 EUR for third place. Throughout the day they will also have the chance to explore interest-education centres, meet companies and organisations, try hands-on activities and learn more about how they can develop STEM skills outside school.
Teachers will also benefit from the event. While students work on their challenges, teachers can join seminars on recognising fraud risks and using artificial intelligence tools in education. Marija Celma, Fraud Prevention Specialist at Luminor, will explain the most common fraud schemes, how to spot them and how to protect both themselves and their students. Claudio Rivera from RBS will introduce the practical uses of AI tools in teachers’ daily work.
More information and the full event programme: https://rbs.lv/lv/event/riga-puzzle-day-3/
Event venue and time:
Fantadroms, Gustava Zemgala gatve 74a, Riga
Participant registration from 9:00.
