On the 9th and 10th of February 2022, the IN2STEAM project’s consortium gathered on-line for the 5th Transnational partner meeting, to share the good practices from the IN2STEAM Labs carried out in the six partnerships countries and to define the guidelines for the “European Charter”.
During the meeting the partners discussed about the finalisation of the Toolkit for teachers and the Activity Kit for students (available on in2steam.eu/outputs) and about the organisation of the Science Days, – the final events of the project – and of the International Science Day in Istanbul (organised by the Turkish partner Doğa School).
The IN2STE(A)M Labs have been launched on December 2021 in Italy, followed by the other countries involved in the project (Greece, Cyprus, Poland, Portugal and Turkey). Each country carried out 12 workshops in at least 2 primary schools, with the support of 3 female STEM professionals who collaborated in the organisation of the workshops involving about 150 primary school students aged 8-11.
In Italy and Cyprus, the workshops have been implemented inside the schools, whereas in Greece the activities have taken place in a FabLab, due to the impossibility of accessing the schools’ premises, given the current pandemic situation. In Poland, Portugal and Turkey, the partners are doing the latest Labs’ meetings.
The main methodologies used by the female STEM professionals in managing the IN2STE(A)M Labs are linked to discovery and investigation activities that can also be conducted within the standard classroom, where students can be divided into working groups and where the desks can be positioned differently, not in front of the teacher’s desk but, for example, by creating blocks or circles. These kinds of setups allow students to work together encouraging socialisation and teamwork.
The IN2STEAM Labs were structured following non-traditional methodologies focusing on problem solving, creativity, critical thinking and collaboration among learners, in order to improve the 21st century skills required in today’s society. The participants of the Labs, both students and teachers, gave positive feedbacks about the methods and tools, and all the activities proposed during the workshops.
At the end of all the IN2STE(A)M Labs, a series of information form teachers and students will be collected to develop an Impact Report, which will serve for the definition of the “European Charter for STE(A)M education” with policy recommendations and intervention strategies, directed to policy makers in school education, in order to support schools in involving more female students in STE(A)M, thus contrasting gender stereotypes in educational and career choices, through the use of innovative approaches linked to STE(A)M disciplines.
The final events “Science Days” will be organised in each country on April 2022 followed by the International Science Day in Istanbul, which will take place on May 2022. During the events, partners will present the results achieved by the project, to teachers, school directors, students and their families, STEM experts, educational stakeholders and other interested participants (all necessary information for participation will be available soon).
About the project
IN2STEAM is co-financed by the Erasmus+ KA201 – Strategic Partnerships for school education.
The project aims to enhance, encourage and foster + innovative educational approach that integrates STE(A)M learning (applying art + design principles to science education) in primary education through gender-inclusive methods and resources to promote a positive change of attitudes towards non–stereotyping choices in education + attract more girls into STEM fields.
Partners
- CESIE (Italy, Coordinator)
- DANMAR (Poland)
- INOVA (Portugal)
- FOUR ELEMENTS (Greece)
- CARDET (Cyprus)
- DOGA SCHOOL (Turkey)
For further information
Read more about IN2STEAM, visit the website in2steam.eu and follow us on Facebook.
Contact school@cesie.org
