ECB

The first Summer School of inGenious - the European Coordinating Body in Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) Education will take place in Istanbul from 24 to 26 August 2012.

Prof. Derek Bell and Dr Sondan Durukanoglu Feyiz from Sabanci University will welcome hundreds of teachers arriving in Istanbul from all over Europe for the first Summer School for inGenious pilot schools: a 3-day event to exchange and advance in partnerships new teaching strategies to engage young people in science education and careers.

inGenious - the European Coordinating Body in Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) Education is a major European platform which brings together industry and school to stimulate pupils' interest in science education and careers, by improving the image of STEM and encouraging them to think about the wide range of opportunities that STEM can bring to their lives in the future. It is led by European Schoolnet, the network of Ministries of Education in Europe and beyond.

Pilot schools have been identified from 19 countries to participate in the first year (2011/2012) of experimentation under the inGenious project. During the last academic year, "pilot teachers" met online and tested new forms of collaboration with industry in their class - hands-on lessons and experiments in class, meetings with experts and introduction of ICT - bringing companies closer to school and helping pupils think beyond their classroom and about future careers. Four schools from Turkey have joined this first cycle of innovation (Enka Technical High School, Kocaeli; Enka Schools, Istanbul; SEV Elementary School, Izmir; and Sanko School in Gaziantep), and Turkish schools participation in the project is getting stronger: seven schools from Turkey will join the second round of pilot schools starting in September 2012 for the new school year.

The Summer school will bring teachers together to exchange results with their colleagues, present their views and have their say to industry and education stakeholders. The event will provide a unique opportunity not only for training and sharing best practice, but also strengthening relationships between educators and industry professionals. The Programme at a glance. The vice-president of Sabanci University and a representative from the Turkish Ministry of Education have been invited to welcome teachers at the Larespark Hotel in Istanbul, and to inaugurate workshops and panel debates on inGenious activities developed in collaboration with industry. A roundtable with representatives from Ministries of Education (Turkey, Portugal, Slovakia) and Industry leaders (Intel, Shell, and Smart Technologies, among the others) will conclude the event on Sunday 26 August.