We jokingly call them “geeks”, sometimes “nerds”. In the popular “Big Bang Theory” TV show they are portraited as super-smart scientists who possess technical and scientific knowledge and skills to ride the digital and technological revolution but lack social and communication skills to transfer their knowledge. In real life, these professionals, working in education, or in innovation hubs such as FabLabs, are a great knowledge asset to capitalize if we want to increase the number and variety of learners to become aware, acquainted and proficient in STEM and digital skills as key skills for future occupations but more generally social and life purposes. G4E (Geeks for Education) encourages collaboration and synergies between school education, industry and non-formal learning settings. Our partnership intends to support educators coming from such organizations – our geeks - to become proficient teachers/trainers and to use digital technologies and STEM in collaborative, creative, attractive and effective ways, also equipping them with methods and tools to transfer know-how to different learners in an inclusive way. G4E is an alliance of 12 partners coming from 7 EU countries: France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Hungary and Luxembourg. It includes schools at different ISCED levels (College Verlaine, Diophantus, AKG, and a dozen of other associated schools) research and technological education (Centrale Lille, CNRS-IEMN) tech hubs (Fabcube, Fablab Budapest, Inercia Digital, InterMediaKT) and NGOs that are active in the field of inclusive non-formal digital education (2050, WIDE and AMC). The objectives of the project are: 1.to capitalize on existing practice where non-formal and innovative education provided by tech hubs and organizations becomes added value for inclusive, more attractive and effective STEM and digital education in and with schools 2. to define an innovative cross-disciplinary and inclusive pedagogical methodology for STEM teachers, entrepreneurs and non-formal educators 3. to test and streamline the methods through cross-disciplinary, inquiry-based learning, experiential and connected learning 4. to disseminate and promote the G4E tools and methods by making them accessible through blended and OER platforms The most important results and expected impact during and after the project’s life cycle include: - 4 main outputs, including a collection and assessment of practice through a process of “benchlearning” (IO1), a methodological framework for “connected and transformative learning for Geeks in education” to improve pedagogical and soft skills of educators (IO2), innovative educational formats to attract and improve STEM and digital skills at local level (design IO3 and testing IO4 of the G4E learning experiences), - an Open Education Resource Centre to support the close cooperation among different educational fields. - 6 local events and one final transnational event, to share and disseminate the results of the project and to promote its approach to external stakeholders - 2 short-term joint staff training for digital educators of the expected duration of 5 days each – the material and topics covered in the training will be available for other and educators on the project’s Resource Centre - 16 blended mobilities of educators in four countries for the duration of 8 days each - 6 transnational project meetings, to share, evaluate and make strategic decisions on the project’s progress. Participants are specialists from different fields, we create links among different types of teachers/trainers (formal and non-formal education), technicians and tech experts, entrepreneurs, and students. Pupils, students, trainees are the main beneficiaries of G4E: about 500 will be directly involved in the project’s implementation and evaluation. Schools, decision makers and competent bodies at local and regional level are also targeted because they can positively influence political and strategy change. The foreseen impact at the end - and hopefully in the longer term - will be the improved operational and strategic capabilities of internal stakeholders (partners and their organizations), for external stakeholders (other education providers, schools, NGOs and local partners, research and higher education organizations), increased awareness of the project’s potential to support achievement through collaboration and synergies between industry, formal and non-formal education, training and learning policy- and decision-making bodies. Finally, the most important impact will be on the final beneficiaries (geeks and their students or learners). As a result of testing, implementation and dissemination of the project’s approach, the expected impact on the young generations is: Improved uptake (especially for girls and other groups at disadvantage) of STEM and digital skills, improve digital literacy, transversal and sustainability skills.
G4E intended to achieve four overarching objectives: 1) Leveraging Non-Formal and Innovative Education: We wanted to capitalize on existing non-formal and innovative educational practices provided by technology hubs and organizations to enhance the inclusivity, attractiveness, and effectiveness of STEM and digital education within traditional schools. 2) Providing innovative pedagogy skills to Geeks: We aimed to define a cross-disciplinary, and inclusive pedagogical methodology tailored for STIM educators and non-formal educators, focusing on soft skills, social and emotional aspects of teaching and learning STEM. 3) Testing and Refinement: we wanted to test and streamline our pedagogical methods in real educational settings in schools and with schools. We achieved this objective by developing and testing 17 “G4E STEAM formats” of various kinds and assessing their impact on learners and teachers/trainers. 4) Disseminationg : we intended to disseminate and promote our collaborative model in our areas of cooperation and across Europe To do all this, G4E involved specialists from diverse domains, forging connections among formal and non-formal educators, technicians, technology experts, and students.
G4E (Geeks for Education) started from the reflection on two interconnected issues: - the low participation and proficiency, especially in terms of diversity and gender, in the technical field (STEM and digital) in formal education on the one hand, and - the educational potential of other sectors active in innovation such as tech hubs, FabLabs, and NGOs devoted to inclusive education and empowerment especially through non formal methods on the other. G4E has therefore been established with the primary goal of fostering collaboration and synergy between traditional school education, industry, and non-formal learning environments in the field of STE(A)M education. Our partnership (13 partners from 7 European Union countries: France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Hungary, and Luxembourg) has intended to empower educators—whom we affectionately refer to as "geeks"—from these diverse settings to evolve into proficient teachers and trainers for the past three years. G4E has strived to equip them with the necessary “human and digital” technologies and STEM knowledge to engage learners creatively, attractively, and effectively, but above all inclusively to learners with diverse backgrounds and needs.