In November and December 2021, the STE(A)M IT Careers Advisers Network, in partnership with the Scientix and STEM Alliance projects, organised the 2021 STEM Careers days which gathered a range of webinars centred around STEM careers, business innovation, and of course, integrated STE(A)M teaching.
The objective of the 2021 STEM Career Days was to help educators find new education solutions and innovative approaches to integrated STE(A)M teaching while providing real-world examples of contextualising STE(A)M careers in the classroom.
During these online public events, experts in the field of career guidance and integrated STE(A)M teaching offered advice and guidance to teachers, longstanding and new professional partners from the STEM Alliance presented their businesses, products, and educational activities, and teachers helped each other create more engaging, inclusive, and accessible STE(A)M education strategies.
If you have missed out on our exciting events, or if you have attended but simply want a refresher, we have summarised the highlights of the events below. Just follow the links to watch the recordings of the webinars!
Contextualising STE(A)M Careers in the classroom
On Tuesday, 2 November 2021, the first webinar organised in the context of the STE(A)M IT Integrated STEM teaching MOOC rerun addressed the importance of contextualizing STE(A)M careers in integrated STE(A)M teaching. Attendees had the opportunity to ask our guest speakers, Claire Flammang and Martha Hoebens, any questions about how careers can be contextualized in class, advice on what to consider according to the students’ level and what kind of resources, materials and tools can be used while designing lessons to address real-life problems and STE(A)M careers.
Meet the Innovators: Dartef and Elias Robot
On Wednesday, 10 November 2021, we invited new STEM Alliance partners DARTEF and Elias Robot start-ups to talk about their solutions to improve STEM education and to give an overview of how STEM is needed to create and develop businesses. Attendees had the opportunity to ask our guest speakers questions about how STEM careers can be fostered in the classroom.
Meet the Innovators: Kotokan and Notebloc
On Thursday, 18 November 2021. Kotokan and Notebloc start-ups, two new STEM Alliance partners introduced their co-founders who are experts in Mathematics teaching innovation and entrepreneurs who found themselves in STEM innovation without a degree in science. During the event, they discussed innovative online teaching methods and solutions to improve STEM education but also emphasised that STEM studies are not the only way to get into STEM careers. In short, they put the “A” back into STE(A)M!
Inclusive and Accessible STE(A)M education: technology as a tool to empower students living with disabilities
On Thursday, 25 November 2021, we were honoured to introduce expert teachers and innovators who have made it their mission to make STEM education accessible to students living with disabilities. During the event, our guest speakers discussed solutions to give autonomy and possibilities to people with disabilities, and how technology can be used to create an inclusive environment for students for whom STEM education is far too often inaccessible. The speakers, including teachers and business entrepreneurs, gave some recommendations, guidance, and useful tips for designing accessible online courses through online platforms.
Microsoft and Factory in the Classroom
Finally, on Tuesday, 7 December 2021, we expanded our horizons to discuss STEM Education in vocational training. During the webinar, a Microsoft Innovative Educator presented the Factory in the Classroom project, which centres on developing technical, organizational, and soft skills in students by including them in technical processes for problem-solving. Through a graduation project, students get a clear view of the careers that they can expect in the industrial sector with a good grasp of the development process associated with building a factory from scratch. A nice bonus, teachers even discovered how to implement activities to introduce industrial skills for younger students by developing a Christmas greeting card. A very nice way to get everyone in the holiday spirit!
To ensure high-quality activities and impactful results, the 2021 STEM Careers Days were organised jointly by the STE(A)M IT, Scientix and STEM Alliance projects.
The STE(A)M IT project aims to strengthen the educational landscape by promoting innovative and cross-disciplinary approaches to STE(A)M teaching in education by impacting policymakers, teachers, school leaders, career advisors and industry. Find out more here.
The STEM Alliance project brings together Industries, education stakeholders and Ministries of Education to promote STEM education and careers to young Europeans and to address anticipated future skills gaps within the European Union. Find out more here
The Scientix project promotes and supports a Europe-wide collaboration among STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) teachers, education researchers, policymakers, and other STEM education professionals. Find out more here.
