School Education: STEM Education Centres

Scope:European policy experimentations are transnational cooperation projects that involve developing, implementing and testing the relevance, effectiveness, potential impact and scalability of activities to address policy priorities in different countries. By combining strategic leadership, methodological soundness, and a strong European dimension, they enable mutual learning and support evidence-based policy at European level.Themes and priorities (scope)This topic would aim to support a gradual establishment and development of transnational collaborative partnerships and networks of STEM Education Centres to strengthen and/or build up local and regional STEM/STEAM learning ecosystems for educational innovation and social inclusion. Such ecosystems should respond to different cultural and educational contexts and varying, specific needs in each EU country, while building on existing structures and initiatives where available, or creating new ones. The Centres should be guided by the community-based learning concepts such as the whole school approach [1] or an open schooling [2], and align with the latest advances in STEM fields e.g. linked to the green and digital transitions, based on research; they should promote a systemic approach in STEM and STEAM education, e.g. with aggregated pedagogical standards, monitoring of learning outcomes, and professional development of educators, going far beyond a simple provision of quality STEM and STEAM education teaching and learning.By fostering collaborative partnerships and networks operating at multiple levels (local, regional and transnational), the Centres will support European-wide cooperation; through bringing together and empowering STEM ecosystems from across Europe, the Centres will contribute to reducing existing disparities in STEM and STEAM education provision among countries and regions. This would enable educators, educational institutions, policy makers, higher education institutions, researchers and industr