18 A SELECTION OF INTERNATIONAL STE(A)M PROJECTS AND NETWORKS IN EUROPE

As members of this project consortium, teachers from Finland, Lithuania, Belgium, Estonia, Serbia and Germany have taken part in a number of STE(A)M related projects and networks. In this section you will find information about three of them: STEM School Label, Scientix community and Science on Stage Europe. Although the official descriptions of these projects mention STEM rather than STEAM, they can still act as a starting point and as support for teachers wanting to develop a STEAM approach.

STEM School Label

The STEM School Label launched as an Erasmus+ project in 2017. The objective is to guide European schools in increasing young Europeans’ interest and skills in STEM subjects and to provide the schools with the necessary tools to engage their students, teachers, and other actors in related activities by developing an appropriate STEM strategy. Since 2021 all STEM School Label activities continue under Scientix with funding by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

Any European school can obtain a STEM School Label by evaluating themselves via an online Self-Assessment Tool according to 21 Criteria defining a STEM School. Schools need to register, take part in forums, share knowledge and expertise through resources and case studies and after preparing a self-assessment process based on the STEM School Label checklists, fill in and submit assessment questionnaires. According to the results, a competent, proficient or expert label will be given. The tool identifies required areas of development and provides an Action Plan as well as resources.

Scientix community

The Scientix community for science education promotes and supports collaboration among European STEM professionals, such as teachers and policymakers, and is coordinated by European Schoolnet.  The Scientix community organises networking events, with the aim of STEM professionals to share and exchange project experiences and present their work to each other as well as facilitate the development of new partnerships.

The Scientix community has National Contact Points (NPCs) in over 20 countries, including Estonia, Finland and Serbia, acting as links between the European and the national level of the community. The NPCs engage with the national communities and organise different activities, as well as monitor and analyse local policies and practices regarding STEM to be published on the Scientix website. There are also Scientix Ambassadors in 51 countries all over Europe, including Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, and Serbia. The work of the ambassadors includes supporting innovation in STEM education in their countries and helping the exchange of knowledge and good practice in science education.

Science on Stage Europe

Science on Stage is Europe’s biggest network of STEM teachers for teachers with destinations in over 30 countries, including Belgium, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, and Serbia. The objective of the network is to strengthen the community of committed STEM teachers throughout Europe and to support the professional development of teachers through the personal exchange of best practice teaching ideas across borders. By doing this, the network hopes to promote a more scientifically literate population and to popularise STEM fields.

Every Science on Stage country has on-site representatives who coordinate and realise the Science on Stage activities in their country. Membership provides an opportunity for STEM teachers to take part in festivals, projects, teacher exchanges, professional development activities, competitions as well as access to teaching materials.