Mark your calendars – this year’s Arduino Day will be Saturday March, 27, 2021! This is the annual, worldwide celebration in which the Arduino community gathers together to recognize Arduino achievements large and small, and everybody is invited to participate.

Over the past few years as participation in Arduino Day has increased, there have been over 3000 community initiatives as part of the day’s celebrations, everything from lectures and workshops to project demonstrations and exhibitions occurring in hundreds of countries around the globe.

Arduino Day 2021 Theme: “Undistancing: Open Makes Us Close”

Since “social distancing” has become part of the new normal since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizers of this year’s Arduino Day have decided to focus on all the ways that open-source Arduino technology can bring people closer together, even when we are physically at a distance.

Isolation, loneliness, and detachment have become major problems as the pandemic has kept us apart from friends and family. However, many Arduino initiatives this past year have made It more possible than ever to connect with a community online, breaking down barriers and building new support networks.

In honor of all the ways Arduino has made it possible for people to connect in a year of quarantine and self-isolation, the theme of this year’s Arduino Day will be “Undistancing: Open Makes us Close.” The neologism “Undistancing” emphasizes how we can use technology to forge connections even when we have to maintain physical distancing.

With this phrase “Undistancing: Open Makes us Close,” the organizers of this year’s Arduino Day are encouraging us to reflect upon and celebrate all the ways that Arduino’s open-source technology can keep us feeling closely linked and supported, even if only through virtual connections.

As the Arduino team describes it: 

“UNDISTANCING conveys the disruptive power of Arduino users to unite in a time when it’s needed more than ever.

OPEN MAKES US CLOSE represents the ability of our community to transform a burden into a chance to connect, collaborate, and create as one. It’s a call to shorten as many distances as possible and to explore new ideas and technologies, together.”

Planning to Make Arduino Day Safe in the Pandemic Era

In years past, Arduino Day emphasized in-person gatherings as a way to build personal ties throughout the broader Arduino community. As we are still living with the pandemic, this year it is being recommended that all organizers of local Arduino Day celebrations and events offer 100% online alternatives.

For all Arduino Day events, Arduino is recommending that organizers follow the “Key planning recommendations for mass gatherings in the context of the current COVID-19 outbreak” guidelines promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO). Also, don’t forget to check and keep compliant with any social gathering rules established by your local and national government officials.

Arduino Day is meant to be a fun, joyful day for the Arduino community – so safety is a top priority!

Are You Ready for Arduino Day 2021? Submit Your Proposal by March 14, 2021!

Arduino Day is open to everybody, whether you would like to serve as a local organizer in your community or as a participant.

If you’re interested in finding out more about serving as a local organizer, you can submit the online form and suggest your proposal. The deadline is Sunday March 14, 2021.

To find out more about Arduino Day virtual and local events in your area, be sure to check out the official Arduino Day website. You can also help sped the word using hashtag #ArduinoD21 across your social media accounts.

And if you want more news about the latest events and developments from Arduino and Raspberry Pi, be sure to check out more of our articles here on our Vilros blog!