STEAM at the 2nd Primary School in Varaždin: Four classrooms will be equipped, including an observatory

18 Oct by Administrator

STEAM at the 2nd Primary School in Varaždin: Four classrooms will be equipped, including an observatory

Today, July 13th, the project “Full STEAM Ahead!” worth 3.3 million kuna was presented at the 2nd Primary School in Varaždin. The partners of the project are the Faculty of Organization and Informatics in Varaždin and NT-Gruppen AS Kingdom of Norway.

Through this project, the school will undergo digital transformation through the STEAM concept, which adds A (art) to STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) by equipping four classrooms, including an observatory, providing teacher education, and developing curriculum and activities for students.

“3.3 million kuna, which are non-refundable funds, is not a small amount. I thank FOI, the 2nd Primary School, and our Norwegian partners who jointly designed this project, which will not only improve IT, but also the entire STEM structure of the 2nd Primary School. There will be classrooms for robotics, multi-purpose halls, a new observatory with a new telescope, and children will have the opportunity from an early age to choose and learn STEM skills”, said the Mayor of Varaždin, Neven Boslij.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Markus Schatten, project leader from FOI, said that this is a big step for the 2nd Primary School in Varaždin.

“We will build an observatory, a multi-functional space, four new curricula that will be developed for the development of computer games, robotics, astronomy and 3-D printing. A meteorite tracking system will be developed next to the observatory, and we will also create cognitive agents like “Barica” at our faculty who will talk to students with difficulties. So, I believe this project will be extremely interesting for students”, said Markus Schatten.

He further stated that FOI will provide mentors for all teachers who will create new curricula, organize winter schools and work on workshops, while Norwegian partners will assist in the observatory part.

The director of the 2nd Primary School in Varaždin, Dijana Posavec, also confirmed that this is a big project for the school.

“We are thrilled that our partners have recognized us and our need for modernization. Our school is fairly well-equipped, but the equipment is outdated. We live in a world of extremely rapid changes, both in lifestyle and in the speed of technology development. Currently, we are financially unable to keep up with this development, so this project has come as a blessing and we thank our partners for making it possible. We have wholeheartedly accepted it, aware that we must offer children what they love. We are a school that works hard on tolerance, interpersonal relationships, civic education, but this STEM or STEAM part that we have applied for, require us to move full steam ahead because the children are demanding more and we currently can’t give it to them,” said Director Posavec.

In the next school year, the 2nd Primary School in Varaždin will enroll 701 students, and the project covers about 200 students. However, the results of the project will be reflected on all students and teachers in the school, including students with special needs, gifted students, and students who have difficulty learning.

 

Source: regionalni.com