Raspberry Pi 'weather station kits' handed out to 1,000 UK schools
The two tech firms share a close relationship already as the Oracle Academy and Raspberry Pi Foundation work together to ship the maker-kits with Oracle's Java programming language.
The kits will allow pupils to operate a weather station by writing code. Data including weather conditions such as wind speed, direction, temperature, pressure and humidity will be stored and queried by the school children using Oracle's SQL database software.
Local weather information and predictions created by the children will be published on a website they develop too.
Founder Eben Upton said that the kits were already over-subscribed and will go through a school-by-school selection process. He added that the kits would help children "find the project a very engaging way of learning new and useful skills, and that they'll have lots of fun in the process".
Any schools that did not receive a free kit can purchase one in the near future, Upton continued, telling Techworld that he aims to keep costs below £100 per kit.
Jane Richardson, Oracle Academy's European directer said: "From application programming to database management, computer science skills can lead to rewarding and fulfilling careers. Our goal with the Oracle Raspberry Pi Weather Station project is not only to show students how computer science can help them measure, interrogate and understand the world better, but also to give them hands-on opportunities to develop these skills.
"We believe this is one of the best ways to inspire the next generation to take up the computer science roles that economies around the world need filled."
The 1,000 free kits for schools are being funded by Oracle Giving.