Press Release – Launch of the STEAME Teacher Facilitators Academy Project

Press Release

STEAME Teacher Facilitators Academy
www.steame-academy.eu

Project Code: 101102619 — STEAME-ACADEMY
Project Duration: June 2023 – May 2026

It is a widely acknowledged fact, supported by numerous studies, that students often complete their formal education without having sufficiently developed the competencies required in today’s dynamic world. Integrated learning and project-based learning play a substantial role in shaping and enhancing these skills, particularly at the lower and upper secondary levels (Grades 6–12). Over the past 15 years, we have witnessed a shift from STEM to STEAM, and more recently to STEAME—an acronym that encompasses Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, and Entrepreneurship. This interdisciplinary framework, approached through project-based learning, serves as a driving force in cultivating the creative and innovative minds of the future. The key agents who can transform this vision into reality are teachers—both those currently working in schools and those preparing for the profession in higher education institutions.

This project aims to establish a model of a European Federation, integrating a network of local STEAME Teacher Facilitator Academies. At the heart of this network are teacher-facilitators, future professionals, and learning experts who will support the development of young people’s competencies.

The STEAME Teacher Facilitator Academies will serve both in-service and pre-service teachers. At various stages of implementation, experienced teachers will act as mentors for student teachers, within a European system grounded in mobility. This approach will foster a natural connection between school education and university-based teacher training, potentially extending into the industrial sector. These actors will collaborate to support the sustainable development of teaching staff, thereby enhancing the overall quality of education in Europe. The initiative will promote the continuous professional development of future teachers and lay the foundation for future schools based on STEAME project-based learning methodologies.

Main Innovative Outputs of the Project:

1. A STEAME Competency Framework for teacher-facilitators
2. STEAME Training Modules/Courses for teacher-facilitators
3. An International Sharing Observatory for STEAME Learning Facilitators
4. The development of a Community of Practice and Mentoring Program, including a Certification System for STEAME facilitators
5. Policy Recommendations for the establishment of a European Federation of STEAME Teacher Facilitator Academies

These developments build upon the experiences and innovative outcomes of 16 completed or ongoing STEAME projects, primarily under the ERASMUS+ KA2 programme for school education. The five innovative deliverables of this project will contribute to the continuous professional development of educators, while also enhancing the European dimension of education in each participating country. These goals will be achieved through European-level mentorship and teacher mobility initiatives, in line with Education 3.0 and 4.0 frameworks that focus on equipping learners with future-ready competencies.

Project Consortium

1. Pedagogical University of Krakow (Poland, Coordinator)
2. Cyprus Mathematical Society (Cyprus)
3. Universidade do Algarve (Portugal)
4. University of the Aegean (Greece)
5. European Association of Career Guidance (Cyprus)
6. Spiru Haret University (Romania)
7. Institute for the Development of Educational Assessment Association (IDEE) (Romania)
8. Plovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski” (Bulgaria)
9. University of Barcelona (Spain)
10. Pedagogical Institute of Cyprus, Ministry of Education (Cyprus)
11. Prof. Ivan Apostolov Private English Language School (Bulgaria)
12. Instituto Politécnico do Porto (Portugal)
13. EUROGEO VZW (Belgium)
14. Doukas School (Greece)