About

NGSS project aims to promote STEM+Arts in early childhood education through the novel approach that will focus on Social and Emotional Learning concept (SEL), integrated with interactive approaches (e.g. drama, gamified learning, physical education etc.), addressing development of social, emotional skills together with the cognitive skills. The main focus will be on the following four skills: communication, critical thinking, collaboration, creativity. Acquisition of these four skills will help to remove emotional and conceptual barriers to science learning in early education, so that learners will feel confident to approach the subject in their later schooling. The secondary goals of the project will include: promotion of gender unbiased approach to STEM education; increase the environmental awareness and sensitivity of young learners.
As a 21st century education strategy, the project aims to increase children’s basic skills in STEM+Arts (creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving) and the competence development of teachers to effectively teach interdisciplinary art and science concepts using a real-world context for fostering more creative and collaborative learning environments in schools.
The project will strive to encourage the participation of young girls in STEM, and will develop and test a behavioural change assessment model. In addressing the issues of girls’ engagement in STEM by testing out innovative encouragement measures in the early stages of education, the project aims to produce a strong impact on all project target groups.
NGSS expects to directly reach at least 100 teachers across EU and their students (3000 pupils) during the piloting phase, as well as at least 55 educational institutions. The project will strive to procure contribution of 18 female STEM+Arts professionals, 30 institutional stakeholders, 220 participants at Multiplier events, wider dissemination to +300 school stakeholders.
Specific Objectives:
– Increase the competence development of teachers and educators to effectively teach STEM+Arts concepts to young children at early childhood education, with a focus on girls, so to foster creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving competences;
– Increase and nurture girls’ interest in STEM fields through the development of gender, inclusive teaching methods and open resources focused on STEM+Arts learning in schools with a real-world context;
– Support a behavioural change in girls to foster non-gender stereotyping in education and career choices, motivating girls to fulfil their potential in STEM fields and reduce the gender gap;
– Integrate a 21st century education strategy for developing more creative learning environments in pre-primary, primary schools through the adoption of interdisciplinary STEM+Arts learning approaches joined with gender inclusive practices in school curriculum.
NGSS will include a comprehensive analysis on the value of STEM+Arts education in increasing the motivation, participation of young girls in STEM fields and development of Online Training Curriculum for teachers in STEM+Arts learning and gender sensitive practices to support educators and teachers to implement interdisciplinary approaches in teaching arts & sciences at schools.
All training workshops will support teachers to become mentors, providing guidelines and training the facilitators for the piloting of the OER.

As added value, the partnership will create a STEM+Art Kit for pupils and a Digital Toolkit for Teacher Training Course to be used in the classrooms with teachers and children. The outputs will contain a set of new and digital methodologies and tools that will support teachers in reducing gender gaps regarding women and STEM by adopting inclusive STEM+Arts learning.
These outputs will combine formal and non-formal teaching approaches as well as ICT based activities in order to enrich both teachers and pupils, supporting young students, especially girls, to make non-stereotyping choices in their future educational pathway.
The creation of the Policy Recommendation for STEM+Arts Education co-produced with teachers, educators, STEM professionals & stakeholders from 6 EU countries and targeted at educational decision makers will give an EU dimension to the project. The Policy Recommendation Paper & Impact Report will provide a framework for educational organisations to integrate STEM education through using evidence-based results will foster the participation of girls in STEM where the gender gap still persists.
The project target groups are educators and kids from pre-primary and primary school stage.
The project is funded by the Erasmus+ Turkish National Agency.