Changes to the StarT-programme

The current school year will bring some changes to the StarT-programme. Due to lesser resources, the StarT-competition will not be organized during this school year 2022-2023. This also means that neither the StarT Gala nor public voting will be organized. 

We however encourage you to continue carrying out project-based learning in schools and elsewhere. For help and ideas, you may turn to our material bank as well as our guidelines for organizing a successful StarT day within your learning community.

For support on the project-based teaching at a national level, you can also contact the local representatives of StarT partner countries.

For European STEM-teachers, we are organizing the Science on Stage festival 2024 in Turku, Finland. The application process for the festival takes place during 2023. If you are interested in presenting your teaching practice in the festival, please contact your national Science on Stage steering committee for further information.

The delegates of Finland holding Science on Stage themed cardboard decorations

The Science on Stage Festival 2024 will be held in Turku, Finland!

The Science on Stage Festival is an international fair meant for STEAM teachers. At the festival, the attending teachers and educators share their educational ideas and meet colleagues from all over the world. This year, around 450 teachers from over 30 countries came together at Europe’s largest educational fair for science teachers in Prague, Czech Republic. The general assembly held simultaneously with the festival decided that the next Science on Stage Festival 2024 will be held in Turku, Finland.

The Science on Stage Festival 2024 in Turku, Finland

City of Turku is located in Southern Finland, by the Baltic sea. Turku is the oldest city in Finland and its restaurants offer wonderful opportunities to enjoy the gifts of the pure Finnish nature. Turku Archipelago is also the greatest archipelago of the World. With all these great features, the city enables myriads of experiences in the fields of science education, nature and culture. Read more about the city from Visit Turku website.

At the Festival 2024, teachers of Finland can familiarize their-selves with their European colleagues’ ideas for a better STEM education: 40 teachers and educators from Finland will be given access to the Festival for the all four days. In addition, there will be held an open day when everyone is welcome to the fair and obtain new teaching ideas.

We are very delighted for having a significant event like the Science on Stage Festival in Finland. We can learn from each other with interaction.

Maija Aksela, Director of StarT and the LUMA Centre Finland

The teachers’ teaching ideas and projects are the core of the fair. Furthermore, there will be workshops, experts giving lectures, demonstrations and the possibility to make a city tour at the festival. The Science on Stage organisation founded in 2000 is in charge of the event and it aims at improving science teaching and encouraging more schoolchildren to consider a career in science or engineering. Finland is presented by LUMA Centre Finland in the organisation.

The delegates’ experiences at this years Festival

The 12th European Science on Stage festival was hosted by Elixir do škol with the main support of the Municipality of Prague, the Česká spořitelna foundation and The JABLOTRON foundation, in co-operation with Science on Stage Europe and Science on Stage Czech Republic. It was under the patronage of Mariya Gabriel, Member of the European Commission and was endorsed by the Czech Ministry of Education.

The delegates of Finland at the SonS Festival 2022 had been chosen as a part of the Finnish StarT program. The delegates are teachers and educators from from Forssan kuvataidekoulu, Länsiharjun koulu and Taipalsaaren kirkonkylän koulun esiopetus. The delegates enjoyed the Festival and obtained new teaching ideas for future purposes.

The Festival was interesting and it gave new ideas for my job. The art teacher’s eyes spotted projects that could be utilized while making art.

Teija Lauronen from Forssan kuvataidekoulu

The delegates of Finland presented their innovative teaching concepts in a fair and in workshops. You can read more about them from our earlier post. These were four days full of exciting discussions, great ideas, and wonderful experiences.

The Best Finnish Ideas for a Better STEM Education

From Prague to all of Europe! At the European Science on Stage festival in March 2022, 450 teachers will work together to shape science education of the future. The best teachers who have been selected through the Finnish StarT program will take part. Follow the festival on social media!

Teachers matter! They are the ones who can enthuse students for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and thereby prepare them for the future! At the 12th European Science on Stage festival 2022, hosted by Science on Stage Czechia in cooperation with Science on Stage Europe, the participating teachers will be given the right tools to do so.  

The three-day educational festival will take place from 24th-27th March in Prague. 450 teachers from over 30 countries will come together to present and exchange their innovative teaching concepts in a fair, in workshops and in short lectures. From a symphony of atoms to the production of foils from starch and the usage of microcontroller in physics lessons, there will once again be a variety of practical teaching ideas from teachers for teachers. 

Particularly outstanding projects will receive the festival’s European STEM Teacher Award and will later be disseminated internationally as training courses or teaching materials. In this way, teachers reach thousands of students throughout Europe with their ideas encouraging them to consider a career in science, IT or engineering.

This year’s festival is under the patronage of Mariya Gabriel, Member of the European Commission, and is endorsed by the Czech Ministry of Education.

The teaching practices from Finland at the festival

The delegates of Finland at the Science on Stage Festival 2022 are teachers and educators from Forssan kuvataidekoulu, Länsiharjun koulu and Taipalsaaren kirkonkylän koulun esiopetus. The delegates have been chosen as a part of the Finnish StarT program: the teachers convinced the jury with teaching practices that emphasize for example sustainable development, co-operation and multidisciplinary. Now they head for the international Science on Stage festival to inspire and enthuse colleagues from across Europe with their teaching ideas. 

Science on Stage 2022 Festival 24-27 March 2022

Venue: Clarion Congress Hotel Prague, Freyova 33, 190 00 Prague 9 ⁠⁠-⁠⁠ Vysočany, Czechia 

Open Day for the public: Saturday, 26 March, 10:00 – 17:00 

For media representatives: Please register at press@science-on-stage.eu 

More Information