| dc.description.abstract | Belgrade, February 2020. The SySTEM 2020 partners flew
in from all corners of Europe, from Finland, from Greece,
from Ireland, and from everywhere in between. We were
excited to be together, nearing the final year of the project
- at that point we didn’t know this would be our last face-
to-face meeting, and for most of us, the last chance for
international travel for at least a year. Thinking back, this
moment when we could share a coffee while taking a break
from intense working sessions, or walking through the city
centre and chatting about the Christmas lights still being
up in mid-February, is even more cherished, and will be one
that lives on in our memories. One year later, one year into
the pandemic, we are still united by SySTEM 2020. In this
intervening year, more learning has happened outside of
classrooms than ever before, and we as a consortium of 22
organisations are still united in trying to re-imagine science
learning outside the classroom in this new and uncertain
world.
Over the past three years, we have been lucky to be
working in an atmosphere of support, trust, and shared
values. This has been a remarkable collaboration of
researchers and practitioners on a mission to map the
field of non-formal science learning, and to support and
empower young learners. All of our findings and research
results are rooted in the practices of non-formal science
learning organisations. They have been tested, iterated,
discussed and are now on offer to the wider community.
We have been researching theory and practice in
science education outside the classroom. Through this
work, several trends and divides have come to the fore that
require institutional and policy responses in order to turn
the tide, and begin moving towards a systemic change in
science education.
We have created a series of adaptable and practical
tools for educators that will support and cultivate learners’
interest in science. These tools have been curated to
respond to the growing need to ensure that we create
pathways to welcome learners from all backgrounds into
science learning, and meet them wherever they are. We hope that our work will support the integration of learning
ecosystems which link formal and non-formal education,
families and wider communities, spanning a range of
subject disciplines and supporting multiple ways of
knowing and learning.
The possibilities for all should be, and can be, within
our reach. Our research and tools can frame priorities,
agendas and policies that position Europe at the forefront
of developing an equitable and diverse science learning
landscape. This is why we are honoured and excited that
two high-level politicians are endorsing our project and this
report. We hope you enjoy the read and most importantly
that this report will act as a catalyst for change. | en |
