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ESTI aims to address the lack of interest in science and technology through collaborative efforts among European Intergovernmental Research Organisations. The initiative includes national activities, an international festival, follow-up activities, and the development of new teaching materials. Key elements include networking, partnerships, and the involvement of young professionals.
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Background • Partners • National activities • International Festival • Follow-up activities • The future - ESTI
Background • Wide-spread public lack of interest in science and technology, despite increasing dependence on high-tech devices/facilities • Dramatically increasing pace of scientific discovery • Worrying level of scientific literacy among European public • Falling teacher and student numbers, especially in “hard” scientific disciplines, like the ones represented by the EIROforum • Leads to fewer people qualified to pursue careers in scientific research and engineering : a direct and recognised threat to the future of Europe and, implicitly, of the EIROforum
Background • EIROforum educational projects to date: • “Physics on Stage” (2000) • “Life in the Universe” (2001) • “Physics on Stage 2” (2002) • “Sci-Tech – Couldn’t be without it!” (2002) • “Physics on Stage 3” (2003)
Partners A coordination and collaboration group of seven major European Intergovernmental Research Organisations
National activities • Carried out by National Steering Committees in 22 countries • theme: ‘The Physics of Life’ - encompassing all the natural sciences in an interdisciplinary approach. • national competitions • local and national events • activities attached to existing national science fairs
Physics on Stage 3 festival 8-15 Nov 2003 ESTEC, Noordwijk, NL • 400 participants from ~30 countries • intensive exchange of information, materials and best practice • VIP visitors from European Commission, national ministries and research organisations • identification of problems in physics education and recommendations to improve the situation
The fair • national stands from participating countries, displaying the best projects identified through the national activities • marketplace of ideas, materials, demonstrations and teaching methods • forum for informal discussion and collaboration • educational publishers interact with delegates
Performances and presentations • given by representatives from participating countries • covering a wide range of topics inspired by the theme “Physics and Life”
Workshops and other elements • 12-15 workshops on themes proposed by national steering committees • seminars on current topics of European research • European Science Teaching Awards presented to outstanding participants • impact evaluation study carried out in all participating countries
Follow-up activities • publication of the proceedings and workshop recommendations, • video report • publication of online archive of the educational material identified through the project, • professional evaluation of project impact • follow-up meetings on a national level • continuation of key workshops
The future - ESTI An EIROforum ‘European Science Teachers Initiative’ to: • Assist the European teaching community to improve science education, thereby raising interest in science and technology and improving science literacy. • Make available the unique, combined expertise of the European Intergovernmental Research Organisations in their respective scientific fields to the European scientific teaching community. • Identify and monitor trends related to the current crisis in the choice of scientific careers and scientific literacy observed in Europe.
The future - ESTI Key elements: • Several partners (world leaders in their fields) collaborating and pooling their resources to help resolving a major socio-scientific problem. • Networking that expands beyond the institutional and scientific borders of the individual organisations and involve existing educational networks. • Development and dissemination of new educational tools, possibly in collaboration with private-sector enterprises. • Young professionals placed at an important European-level interface between science and society, and also “integrating” related EIRO efforts • Assessments and relevant statistical information will provide decision-makers with valuable information about European science teaching
The future - ESTI • Core Tasks • Funded national activities and events • Annual festivals, e.g., “Science on Stage” • Online resource archive • European Science Teaching Award • Parallel Projects • Teachers Exchange Programme • Teacher placements within EIROs • Teacher courses (summer schools) about EIRO research • Creation and dissemination of new teaching materials