Release of STEM Education Resources Toolkit to support industry partnerships
Australia’s Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel, has welcomed the release of an online STEM resources toolkit to support Australian businesses in engaging with school students to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The National STEM School Education Resources Toolkit was a key recommendation of the STEM Partnerships Forum and aims to help teachers, school leaders, industry partners and other providers to deliver high quality STEM initiatives in schools.
Dr Finkel chaired the STEM Partnerships Forum, which comprised 17 leaders from industry and the education sector. The Forum consulted widely to facilitate a more strategic approach to school-based partnerships with industry.
The STEM Partnerships Forum report recommended the development of the toolkit to provide “information on the elements of successful partnerships, the important role of intermediaries, and advice to support schools and industry in designing, implementing and evaluating partnerships.”
The Australian Government Department of Education commissioned the development the Toolkit as part of its commitment to supporting the National STEM School Education Strategy 2016-2026.
The interactive online resources use real-world examples of events and activities offered by Australian education jurisdictions, industry and other providers.
“Australian businesses have a long history of working with schools to provide current and engaging material to illustrate the kind of real world problems that students would love to solve.” Dr Finkel said. “At the same time, businesses are showing students and their families where studying science can lead, and the kinds of jobs they may consider.
“This toolkit will support all partners in this process – students, teachers, industry and other providers – to ensure industry-supported STEM programs are delivering the best experience possible.”
The toolkit includes four Better Practice Guides that cover establishment, delivery, evaluation and measuring success and are valuable resources to guide all stakeholders.