EUse science to STEAM up your school Erasmus Project

Project Title

EUse science to STEAM up your school

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: Gender equality / equal opportunities; Natural sciences; Teaching and learning of foreign languages

Project Summary

EUse science to STEAM up your school

In this project, six secondary schools from Dordrecht (NL), Recklinghausen (DE), Pamplona (ES), Copenhagen (DK), and Split (HR), partners in earlier European projects, and a new school from Vänersborg (SE) have sought to jointly address a growing shortage of (future) employees with STEM skills, during the preliminary meeting in February 2018.
Six exchanges were included in this project, of which the last one had to be cancelled, unfortunately, due to force majeur caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. During these exchanges the schools organized a science week with transversal topics, e.g. integration, women in science and sustainability. In each country, regional and national science centers and universities were involved to give the participants a new impulse in STEM. It is through the synergy of transnational teams that all parties involved, both pupils from secondary and primary schools, teachers and school management, have met and succeeded in the challenges of this project.
Prior to an exchange, participants used eTwinning to meet and prepare STEM topics and transversal topics. Also, they did an English pre-test and post-test online to monitor their CEFR level of English. During the exchange, science and language skills were practiced in an authentic learning environment. Secondary pupils passed on their motivation for STEM to primary school pupils, teaching them, using their own custom-made activating lessons.
Working with other cultures improved the social skills of everyone involved.This project addressed 1250 active participants, 250 per school and, quite important, primary school pupils, a total of 430. Research has shown that pupils who have a deficiency in numerical skills early on avoid science subjects later on in their school career, foregoing on interesting and important jobs in the field of science. Female students, especially, are less likely to pursue a college major or career. What’s worse, the gap is increasing at a significant rate. Women leave STEM disciplines in disproportionate numbers during their higher education studies, in their transition to the world of work and even during their career.
Preparation started in November 2017. During a two-day international preparatory meeting in February 2018 in Dordrecht we set up the structure of the project. Communication at regular intervals saw the use of email, eTwinning, video conferencing and whatsapp. We sawt results on different levels. A host of tangible results was produced, including free online teaching and learning material, evaluation forms, certificates, renewed partnership contracts, promotional material, adapted school curricula and best practices. Besides that, we saw improvement of foreign language skills, developing a personal interest in science, and pupils, especially girls, seeing possibilities for a job in science. Teachers improve their knowledge and experience in coaching and monitoring the entrepreneurial projects.
During each LTTA, our pupils taught primary school pupils. As the groups worked on their transversal topics and science topics in an international setting, it involved the use of foreign languages, exposing the primary pupils to STEM and foreign languages.
Our experience in previous projects and exchanges facilitated the implementation of responsible project management strategies and monitoring of budgets. Evaluation on different levels has ensured quality. Certificates have been provided to all participants in this project.
All participants in the project have contributed to ongoing dissemination, both inside schools (e.g. colleagues, departments) and outside schools (e.g. other schools, public institutions, website, newspapers, youtube). The STEAM exhibition of project results, planned in June 2020, was cancelled due to the Corona pandemic. Instead, a collection of results has been placed on the website. By embedding project activities in curricula, the sustainability of this project has been ensured. An application of a follow-up project involving the same focus and more or less the same set-up, named FutEUre Food, has been approved and will continue to motivate pupils to engage in science.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 141034,7 Eur

Project Coordinator

Insula College Locatie Halmaheiraplein & Country: NL

Project Partners

• AOIZ 1 SOCIEDAD COOPERATIVA (LICEO MONJARDIN)
• Kildegaardskolen
• Wolfgang Borchert Gesamtschule
• Obrtnicka skola
• Fridagymnasiet