European Partnership in STEM Education Erasmus Project

Project Title

European Partnership in STEM Education

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Teaching and learning of foreign languages; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Natural sciences

Project Summary

EPISTEME is a philosophical term which derives from ancient Greece and means knowledge, science or cognition. It is also an acronym of an English name of our project “European Partnership in STEM Education”. The beneficiaries of this initiative are the students of the partner schools, aged 12-16, as well as the teachers of science, technology and mathematics. There will be over 140 people taking part in international project meetings. The aim of the international cooperation of schools from Poland, Bulgaria, Estonia and Latvia is to improve education quality in these scientific disciplines. In order to reach this target, we will come together to develop innovative methods, forms and didactic resources that will make science, mathematics and technology education (STEM) more attractive to young people. The international qualities of the project create a possibility for exchanging experiences and adapting examples of desirable practice into the parent/home schools.Before commencing this partnership, the needs and problems of schools had already been identified by us. We had set goals and stated tasks that wouldlead to reaching our aims in promoting STEM education.
Each of the partners proposed toprepare two issues related tothe modern approach to STEM education andto coordinateactions related to their selected topic in all the schools participating in the project. The selection of topics and the way of their implementation has been made taking into account natural values, geographical location and the scientific and technical potential of the region in which the school is located.
• A project-based learning method in teaching science and mathematics (Poland)
• Encouraging students to make simple study aids – an integration of knowledge and practice (Poland)
• Education games as a method of teaching science and mathematics (Latvia)
• Using social media in teaching STEM (Latvia)
• Robotics in teaching STEM (Estonia)
• “Out of the box” – the creative approach to STEM education (Estonia)
• The importance of the experiment in teaching STEM (Bulgaria)
• Teaching STEM subjects through educational trips (Bulgaria)
The implementation of the above topics corresponds with the next stages of cooperation. Each stage will consist of three phases:
• substantive, cultural and linguistic preparation for the visit,
• the visit to the host school responsible for conducting the training,
• implementation of developed methods and techniques at the home school
The “epiSTEMe-labs”, equipped with tools supporting an extensive and creative development of students, will be established in each of the partner schools. The equipment of the laboratories will not only include specialist tools for teaching and learning STEM, but also hand-made study aids created by students.
The most important, expected results are:
• An increase in attractiveness of STEM teaching and in students’ interest in learning these subjects,
• An increase in students’ knowledge about STEM subjects as well as in their linguistic skills,
• Equalising of educational opportunities of young people,
• An improvement of the quality of the educational offer and its adaptation to the labour market,
• Gaining experience in hosting intercultural events,
• A significant increase in students ‘and teachers’ communication skills and knowledge about the geographic environment and nature of Europe,.
• Building the potential for cooperation and developing a network of partners,.
• The promotion of the Schools in the local community.
Materials and experience gathered during the project implementation will be used in subsequent years after its completion, and thanks to dissemination activities, they will be able to be implemented in other European schools.

Project Website

http://episteme.czest.pl/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 85259,8 Eur

Project Coordinator

Szkola Podstawowa nr 7 & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Surju Kool
• Dundagas vidusskola
• Osnovno uchilishte Panayot Volov