Academias STEM+Emprendimiento

Program focused on STEM, gender & entrepreneurship for youth & teachers from Paraguay & El Salvador.

Latin America has low educational performance, with inequalities in access to inclusive STEM opportunities. STEM+Entrepreneurship seeks to strengthen STEM competencies and leadership in youth; teaching in STEM and pedagogical leadership of teachers in Paraguay & El Salvador; with a focus on gender. In this way, it seeks to contribute to improving young people's access to STEM job opportunities.

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Overview

Information on this page is provided by the innovator and has not been evaluated by HundrED.

Web presence

2021

Established

800

Children

4

Countries

Target group

Community

Updated

April 2024

To provide high quality and inclusive STEM educational opportunities, with teachers who are critical and active in making decisions about their pedagogical practices, in order to improve learning. Thus youth, especially women, have the competencies & skills necessary for their future and access to better STEM job opportunities; contributing to reduce socio-educational inequalities and gender gaps.

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

Post COVID-19, STEM+Entrepreneurship is based on the need to support educational communities in Paraguay and El Salvador through STEM education with a focus on gender. Working with teachers to develop contextualized STEM and entrepreneurship projects that promote economic reactivation and strengthen the social framework, it seeks to enhance STEM and 21st century skills in youth (12-18 years old).

What does your innovation look like in practice?

STEM+Entrepreneurship is a program that seeks to develop capacities in school communities for the implementation of academies under STEM methodologies with a gender focus in Paraguay & El Salvador, within the framework of South-South cooperation. These are co-led by school teachers and STEM professionals from Ciencia Joven, with the participation of secondary students, who carry out science or engineering projects that solve problems of the context, under PBL methodology, with the possibility of deriving in entrepreneurship open to the communities. It involves a teacher training process, from an active, critical and creative role, around the integration of innovative tools in usual pedagogical practices that enhance student learning. The process culminates with a Virtual STEM Fair between both countries, where young people present the results of their projects, seeking to collaborate in the post-pandemic economic reactivation and strengthen the social framework of the communities.

How has it been spreading?

In the post-COVID-19 context, the program began with virtual academies, with the participation of youth from Paraguay & El Salvador, who spread it in their communities. Thanks to the alliance with partners in the territory, within the framework of South-South cooperation, urban, peri-urban and rural schools in both countries were reached, with the implementation of hybrid academies (face-to-face and virtual work). Between 2021 and 2022, 9 schools, 27 teachers and 248 young people were reached. In 2024, the work continues in Paraguay and Argentina joins the program, based on STEAM teaching innovation in public technical schools in Asunción, Ciudad del Este and Buenos Aires, giving continuity to the work in the territory, based on the experience and results obtained in STEM+Entrepreneurship.

If I want to try it, what should I do?

To take part, teachers and educational communities can contact Fundación Ciencia Joven. In this way, according to interest and objectives, we explore the best way to work together and possibilities of participation, either from attending teaching conferences or implementing workshops with students in schools. We invite you to be aware of our future calls!

Implementation steps

Adaptation of the educational material according to the work context

Each territory has its particularities, so the implementation modalities (virtual, face-to-face, hybrid), number of work sessions, among others, should be considered.

Open call for schools

According to interest and objectives, priority contexts and schools can be defined. The work at school level is essential to ensure the continuity of the project, to develop capacities and for teachers to have a greater reach of students. The signing of an agreement establishing minimum requirements for participation is recommended.

Socialization of the program with school management teams and teachers

Planning activities, reaching agreements and clarifying doubts.

Teacher training process

Includes a) initial sessions to review work methodologies and materials; b) follow-up and monitoring throughout the implementation, with visits to schools and virtually; and c) closing sessions for reflection and evaluation of the process, regarding the integration of what has been learned in regular teaching practices.

Training and follow-up process for tutors (STEM professionals)

Including review of work methodologies and materials, program follow-up, recommendations for supporting teachers and students in the development of the academy.

Implementation of academies

An academy consists of activity sessions, of which the number, duration, frequency and modality vary according to each context. Also, the topics addressed and the type of activities can be defined according to objectives and interest, as well as the number of participating students.

Public event

It brings together all participants to exchange experiences, learning and socialization of what has been worked on with the community.

Monitoring and evaluation system

To follow up on implementation, adjustments during execution and evaluation of results. Include evaluation instruments for participants, whose indicators may vary according to objectives.

Delivery of final report to schools

Includes results of evaluation instruments for data-driven decision making.