Author: Andreas Grondoudis

Motivating EU students to choosing STEM studies & careers and improving their performance in courses related to STEM education

Project Summary:

 EL-STEM aims at fostering an innovation “ecosystem” in European secondary schools (ages 12-18) that can facilitate more effective and efficient user-centric design and use of AR/MR resources for personalised STEM learning and teaching. The project will develop, pilot test, and implement an innovative professional development program that will familiarize teachers with the potential of AR technology for enhancing instructional practices and students’ motivation and learning processes in secondary STEM education. Teachers will be acquainted with ways in which they could employ AR (but also VR/MR) to promote students’ engagement in STEM education and to strengthen their 21st century skills.

Funding Organization: European Commission –Erasmus+ / KA2, Strategic Partnerships for School Education (Ref. #: 2017-1-CY01-KA201-026775)

Project duration: September 2017 – June 2020

Project Website: http://elstem.eu/

Project Summary:

“STEMitUP” refers to the idiom “Spice it up” that means “make something more interesting or exciting”. STEMitUP aims at developing a state-of-the-art comprehensive educational programme that will fill STEM teachers’ quiver with innovative and fun pedagogical tools. The overall aim is to make STEM-related courses fun and interesting for students of lower secondary schools aged 11-15 and strategically plant a “seed of interest” that could grow into an exciting and rewarding STEM entrepreneurship career. A fusion of two interrelated fields will take place: stimulating entrepreneurship and encouraging STEM uptake at the same time. Adding an entrepreneurial layer to STEM education will help youth apply STEM to solve real-world problems, to think in a creative and innovative way and at the same time to benefit their communities.

Funding Organization: European Commission –Erasmus+ / KA2, Strategic Partnerships for School Education (Ref. #: 2017-1-NO01-KA201-034201)

Project duration: September 2017 – August 2019

Project Website: https://www.stemitup.eu/

The aim of the project is to establish in Cyprus a Science and Research Center to:

• Undertake competitive interdisciplinary research of excellence for the development of innovative tools and exhibits for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) Education and Science Communication.
• Promote science literacy and capacity building through informal STEAM Education using interactive Science Technology and Engineering (STE) exhibits, demonstrations and contact with scientists.
• Contribute towards a Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) culture through open schooling, Science Communication and outreach activities.
• Provide teacher professional training for integrating in-house developed ICT tools in formal STEAM Education and promote endorsement of new STEAM educational strategies and curricula.
• Serve as a hub to communicate and disseminate to public and industry innovative technology research outcomes and evidence-based practice to policy makers and provide a platform for entrepreneurship for supporting public engagement in entrepreneurship and start-up companies.

Research excellence and innovation will be attained through “Teaming” collaborations, exchange visits and networking with EU Centers of Excellence in ICT research and STEAM Education, and with renowned Science Centers and the public and private universities of Cyprus. The Center will work with academics, expert in various fields, and employ staff and researchers with expertise in Computer Science and ICT, STEAM Education and Science Communication. An entrepreneurship unit hosting a prototyping platform for innovation will be used for dissemination of research outcomes, advising innovative patents, promoting start-ups and establishing links with the industry. The Center will be a unique landmark with a positive long term impact on innovation, Cyprus economic growth and Education, in accordance with “Europe 2020”, and adhering to the objectives of the Teaming Phase I Call.

Funding Organization: European Commission – H2020-WIDESPREAD-04-2017-TeamingPhase1/ WIDESPREAD-04-2017 (Ref. #: 763594)

Project duration: September 2017 – August 2018

Project Website: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/763594