LBTU promotes the development of STEM education in an international project
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education is becoming increasingly important in the rapidly changing labor market and the era of technological advancement. It fosters creativity, logical thinking, and the ability to solve complex problems, while preparing young people for future careers and innovation. However, as data from Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU) indicates, there is still a gender imbalance in STEM fields – only 12% of students in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology (IITF) are female, a similar situation is observed in other parts of Europe as well.
Ozolnieki Secondary School, together with LBTU and four educational institutions from Finland, Lithuania, Poland, and Greece, has launched the implementation of an Erasmus+ program cooperation partnership project to expand the school’s educational offerings in STEM fields, particularly in programming, technology, and engineering, and to make STEM more attractive to girls.
The goal of the project "Diversifying the STEM Ecosystem" is to improve the capacity of schools to diversify and digitalize their STEM offerings, select innovative practices and approaches to engage adolescents, especially girls, in STEM subjects, and to develop and implement a strategy for the development of the STEM ecosystem.
The project, planned to run until December 31, 2026, will include the development and implementation of action plans in five schools from different countries, aiming to educate students about career opportunities in STEM in an engaging and attractive way. In cooperation with LBTU, two extracurricular education programs will be developed and implemented for 5th to 9th-grade students: one for Ozolnieki Secondary School and another for Tulliporti School in Finland. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to participate in international engineering training sessions, some of which will be held online, while in-person sessions will take place in Lithuania and Poland. To enhance the professional development of STEM teachers, international training sessions will be organized, led by LBTU IITF lecturers.
In early November, the first in-person meeting of the Erasmus+ project took place in Joensuu, Finland, with all partners participating: Ozolnieki Secondary School (Latvia), LBTU (Latvia), Panevėžys Education Center (Lithuania), Henrik Brodatego 3rd Złotorija Primary School (Poland), Eastern Finland University High School (Finland), and Ksanti High School (Greece). LBTU was represented by the project leader, leading researcher Natālija Sergejeva, and researcher Jekaterina Smirnova.
During the meeting, participants visited Eastern Finland University and the LUMA Center to explore Finland’s education system and the latest teaching approaches. They also visited Koli National Park to learn about nature-based STEM education methods. At the end of the meeting, the development of a risk management plan was initiated, which will be updated and refined throughout the project.
"At the end of the meeting, each project participant presented their institution and area of responsibility. LBTU's team was tasked with preparing the initial version of the risk management plan, which will be refined throughout the project. In discussions with colleagues from other schools, the risk list was expanded, and possible solution options were also discussed," said project leader Natālija Sergejeva.
In April 2025, the next project meeting will take place at LBTU in Jelgava, where training for STEM teachers will be organized. These sessions will address topics based on previous teacher surveys to ensure the content is relevant and useful. The project is a significant step in strengthening STEM education, promoting the introduction of new and innovative teaching methods in schools in Latvia and across Europe.
Those interested in the project's updates can also follow its Facebook group.
The Erasmus+ Program Key Action 2 (KA2) Cooperation Partnerships in the School Education Sector project "Diversifying the STEM Ecosystem" (No. 2024-1-LV01-KA220-SCH-000250755) will be implemented from October 1, 2024, to December 31, 2026. The European Union’s funding for the project’s implementation is 250,000 EUR, of which LBTU’s share is 17,309.00 EUR.
