STEM For All Seasons Erasmus Project

Project Title

STEM For All Seasons

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 : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change; Inclusion – equity; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

• Context/background of the project;
This is a Key Action 2 Project involving five schools from Ireland, Portugal, Greece Germany and Slovenia. The idea to use the weather to teach STEM subjects rose from a pilot project run by the Irish school. Having seen how effective this was we decided to find international partners to further enhance the project idea. This has been a hugely successful and innovative project with very positive spin offs for students and staff.
• Objectives;
The overall aim of the project was to raise the levels of attainment in the STEM subjects in all of the students of the participating schools. The project also aimed to cultivate a more positive and inclusive attitude towards STEM in staff and students.
• Number and profile of participating organisations;
Five schools from Ireland, Portugal ,Greece, Germany and Slovenia participated in this project. the project was aimed at children aged 4 to 12 years. In Portugal the emphasis was on the gifted students in the school
• Description of undertaken main activities;
Staff in the participating schools were provided with specific training in the STEM subjects
Staff were encouraged and supported in the use of a wide range of effective and innovating teaching methodologies.
Weather stations were set up in each of the participating schools as this formed the basis for the teaching of STEM in this project.
Specific weather related STEM lesson plans were drawn up for all classes in the primary school.
Age appropriate weather boxes with manuals were compiled.
Children in the participating schools were up skilled to a wide range of tools – Scratch, Powerpoint, animation, excel, histry.com, sway, robotics and raspberry pi.
Children and staff were given a wide range of opportunities to present aspects of their STEM work at local and national level.
Links were forged with local industries, colleges of education and third level institutions.

• Results and impact attained;
Staff are more competent in the delivery of the STEM related subjects.
Students and staff have expressed a more positive attitude towards STEM
Detailed lesson plans for use in the teaching of STEM have been formulated.
Strong links with local industries, community groups and third level colleges have been formulated.
Some of our senior students who have moved on to second level schools have been pivotal in introducing robotics and Scratch to their new schools.
• If relevant, longer-term benefits.
This Key Action 2 Project has given rise to a much more positive attitude to STEM among staff and students. Already we have seem more of our students engaging with these subjects in second level and the skills they have acquired in primary school being used to enhance work done by our local secondary schools.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 94820 Eur

Project Coordinator

SCOIL AN SPIORAID NAOIMH & Country: IE

Project Partners

• GS Aystetten
• COSTEAS-GEITONAS SCHOOL CGS S.A
• Agrupamento de Escolas de Nelas
• OS Vizmarje Brod