Project name: Stem UNlimited Raise thanks to Arts at School in Europe
Call and programme: Erasmus + – Call 2021 Round 1 KA 2
KA220-SCH – Cooperation partnerships in school education
Ongoing project
Brief description
The project SUNRAISE – Stem UNlimited Raise thanks to Arts at School in Europe involves 7 partners from five different European countries and it aims to develop a set of inclusive training tools for secondary school teachers and educators in order to teach STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects combined with artistic techniques (for instance Geometry and Music, Physics and Dance, Ecology and Theatre etc). Several challenges that are aimed to be tackled through SUNRAISE include the increasing inequalities in accessing learning for students with disadvantages (both socio-economic ones, disabilities, special educational needs) generally reducing the quality of learning and school achievements, with a risk of disengagement and dropout, climate change. This adds up to the already scarce performance and interest shown by EU students in STEM, despite the key importance of these subjects to develop the necessary innovation to face contemporary challenges. It is necessary that young people combine knowledge with interdisciplinary competences to solve problems, participate actively and responsibly in society, think critically and creatively, while at the moment they are more likely to be left behind. The risk is to grow a generation of people less prepared to face contemporary challenges.
Objectives
The priorities of SUNRAISE include the promotion of interest and excellence in STEM subjects with the adoption of the STEAM approach. In this context, the cultural and creative sector can contribute in developing ways SUNRAISE responds to this situation by developing a set of training tools for secondary school teachers and educators to teach STEM subjects combined with artistic techniques (e.g. Geometry and Music, Physics and Dance, Ecology and Theatre, etc). In this context, culture and art can give a unique contribution in developing ways of bridging creativity and arts with educational approaches. This approach will be even more effective for students with disabilities/SEN as the use of creativity and visual languages will improve their learning process even in difficult subjects such as science.
Therefore, the project objectives are:
- To improve teaching quality through innovative and alternative didactics that enrich STEM teaching with different artistic expressions, facilitating inclusive and participatory learning.
- To integrate formal education with non-formal education by professional artists and artists with disabilities, letting cultural and creative organizations play an active role in the recovery by starting new collaborations with the education sector to build a resilient society.
- To help teachers develop their skills regarding STEM and creativity fostering creative thinking and sense of initiative, useful to find innovative solutions to individual and collective challenges.
- To offer students, including students with disabilities, SEN and/or social and economic disadvantage, new opportunities of self-expression exploring contamination between STEM and arts.
- To foster students’ awareness, relational and communication skills and their ability to think out of the box.
Activities:
- Initial analysis of the current situation in partner countries regarding STEM achievements and education methodologies in place, including good practices, and investigation of teachers’ and education professionals’ needs in terms of skills development and innovative teaching.
- Development of the E-learning platform as a “virtual classroom” for training teachers and students which will host all training materials.
- Preparation of SUNRAISE innovative training programme for teaching STEM and scientific subjects through creative approaches; the programme will consist in modules, each combining 1 STEM subject with specific art techniques and represents an innovative methodology to build curiosity and engagement, practical and creative thinking, with a special added value for students with learning and social difficulties or disabilities. The modules will be piloted by each partner in lessons/training sessions in secondary schools.
- Creation of the SUNRAISE e-book, which will bring together all the research, pilots, learning and main findings of the project.
Expected results
- Increased interest of students in STEM subjects and stronger inclination to undertake STEM studies and careers.
- Improved teaching’s quality through innovative & alternative didactics that will foster the methodology of STEM teaching through artistic approaches.
- Increased inclusivity and appeal of STEM teaching, either in presence and at distance, addressing the needs of every student including those with a disability or difficult background or SEN.
- Increased students’ capacity to think in an interdisciplinary way and put in place creative solutions to complex and/or abstract problems.
- Increased teachers’ capacity to engage students and reach out to them in a fruitful way.
- Increased empowerment, higher inclusion and active participation of students.
- New collaboration opportunities among organizations in the cultural and artistic sector, schools, education and youth organizations, finding a new role across disciplines and real-world applications.
Coordinator: Nazareno Societa’ Cooperativa Sociale – Italy
Partnership
- CSI Center For Social Innovation Ltd – Cyprus
- ICIMSS – Stowarzyszenie Miedzynarodowe Centrum Zarzadzania Informacja – Poland
- Esciencia Eventos Cientificos Sl – Spain
- THEAMA Theatro Atomon Me Anapiria – Greece
- Cooperativa Sociale La Carovana – Italy
- Zespół Szkół Drogowo-Geodezyjnych i Licealnych im. Augusta Witkowskiego w Jarosławiu – Poland
Duration: the project will last 24 months (February 2022 – January 2024). The project officially started in May 2022.
Budget: the project received a grant of € 327.707
