Our main aim was to create cooperation between two schools (Portugal and Estonia) for the promotion of STEM teaching and studying. Partners wanted to develop and implement teaching materials based on real experience, practical knowledge, and both schools’ best practices. Those materials would be implemented throughout the running of the project and during the mobilities and assessed by experts and would be available to be used by other teachers and schools. After this, partners would make the necessary improvements so that STEM lessons and materials would be more appealing and motivate students. Thus, we aimed to promote interest and excellence in STEM, while developing key competencies in teachers and students and innovating in terms of teaching materials and classroom strategies. Furthermore, we aimed to do all this while cooperating with high education institutions and representatives from the world of work.
STEM skills are an increasingly important part of basic literacy in today’s knowledge-oriented society. Europe needs more scientists and science-aware citizens but it continues to face a low number of students interested in studying or pursuing a career in the STEM field. According to OECD, pupils see STEM as boring, not related to real life and hard to study. Europe’s future heavily relies on technology and related sciences. As a result, the next decades will witness an increasing demand for people with relevant skills to meet this challenge. Therefore, in the field of education, Europe is facing the urgent need to attract enough people interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related fields of study and subsequent professions. The STEM approach to learning and teaching promotes essential skills such as digital skills, critical thinking, problem-solving, management, teamwork, and technological skills necessary for success in the modern world. STEM education encourages students to experiment, take risks, and think outside the box. It fosters a culture of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. Integrating STEM education in schools is vital for preparing students for the future and future careers.