The main goals of the project were: 1. Promoting interest and excellence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and the STEAM approach in schools 2. Development of key competencies in school students 3. Supporting teachers, school leaders and other teaching professions. In combining and addressing these priorities, the objective of ‘STEAMing Ahead’ is for the development of a broad yet detailed set of pedagogical, educational and research-based resources resulting from an in-depth implementation of a STEAM approach.
One reason we apply for the project is to develop our organisations and the capacities of staff. In the three schools, STEM is already recognised as having had a significant role in educational development in recent years, and the Partners are convinced that STEAM is inevitably going to be a part of educational development in the years to come, accelerating its influence on public policy. Most schools are going to need to work in a STEAM environment, but many have not fully thought through how Art can be used to add an extra dimension to the idea of STEM to make it far more significant.