<< Objectives >>The We Teach DATA project aims to enhance ISCED level 2 students’ key competences, STEM teachers' teaching competences and professional development, and contribute to the modernisation of the STEM education through the development, testing, piloting and promotion of a set of comprehensive innovative learning materials and trainings for teachers, with focus on data science and cross-curricular instruction. This will be achieved as a transnational collaboration between 7 partners from 4 countries.<< Implementation >>The activities will be implemented in WPs dedicated to: coordination and communication, monitoring, evaluation, risk management and budget control; development and conducting of a joint staff training; development, testing, digitalisation, translation and piloting of a School Box a Master Class for STEM teachers a Training of Trainers; and implementing a comprehensive sharing and promotion campaign. We will apply the principles of innovation development through co-creation.<< Results >>Apart from the tangible results from each WP, we expect to benefit 600 students at ISCED level 2, 30+ STEM teachers and 2500 key stakeholders (during the project lifetime only and many more afterwards). Some of the intangible outcomes are: enhanced key competences (digital competence: information and data literacy; communication and collaboration; digital content creation; problem solving), teaching competences, professional development, awareness levels, quality and relevance of STEM edution.

"The construction sector plays an important role in the European economy as it generates almost 10% of GDP and provides approx. 20 million jobs (see COM/2012/0433 final). In the same time Cedefop’s 2016 Skills Forecast suggests that employment in construction will grow during 2015-2025, Member States will need to replace an ageing workforce, around 1 mln. new workers will be needed by 2025. The ECSO 2017 report (Improving the Human Capital Basis) also identifies the major structural barriers in the area: Decrease in the number of young skilled workers and ageing workforce. The report underlines energy efficiency as one of the main drivers of skills development in the sector.All countries involved in the project (BG, SK, TK, AT) have a significant number of learners completing upper secondary VET schools and above average attainment rates. However, apart from Austria, data from different country reports (incl. CEDEFOP) shows that many of these young people meet difficulties in being employed in the construction sector according to their qualification. Therefore the project ""Transforming VET in Construction – Innovative Materials for Building and Energy Efficiency"" (BEE-VET) joins the efforts of eight organisations from four countries in order to address the highlighted challenges in the sector and to contribute for narrowing the gap between school and business with a focus on practical innovation-oriented learning by using of digital technologies.Through cooperation between VET schools (from BG, SK, TK), suppliers of trainings, literature and methodological guidance in the field of education (from BG and SK), leading companies oriented to R&D and advanced technologies (from BG and TK) and an university which is a pioneer in introducing innovations into education and training, the BEE-VET consortium aims to design, develop, test, validate, exploit, disseminate and sustain a set of interrelated innovative products with a sound effect both for the secondary VET and the construction sector, as follows:-Interactive training materials on green, sustainable and energy efficient construction for upper secondary VET students on the application of new and advanced technologies/materials in the construction sector, i.e. BEE-VET Digital Toolkit.-Methodological materials for VET teachers in specific vocational subjects providing guidance on the using, inclusion and presentation of the Digital Toolkit as an effective tool, supporting the modernisation of VET training programs in Construction and promoting the use of digital technologies in creative, collaborative and efficient ways, i.e. BEE-VET Teachers Handbook;-Concept for curriculum update based on the information from the four partners’ countries and EU best practices identified, as well as on the specific products prepared, mapping expected learning outcomes acquired by VET students in the field of Construction to allow their transnational mobility and recognition of knowledge, skills and competencies, i.e. BEE-VET Concept for Curriculum Update.A joint staff training is also envisaged at the initial stage of the project in order to allow VET teachers from partners schools to get acquainted with latest developments in the construction sector, existing know-how and R&D activities and the possibilities for their integration into VET. All results achieved shall be further promoted through an extensive dissemination campaign on national and EU level, which includes a major dissemination event in the end of the project for more than 200 participants from the relevant target groups, related to Construction VET.We plan to achieve our objectives over a 30-month project lifetime. During that period each of the outputs will be carefully tested and evaluated and all activities will involve thorough quality assurance. The project is expected to directly benefit more than 1000 individuals, to include VET teachers in construction, upper-secondary VET students in specialties in the field of Construction. The project is also expected to have impact on policy-making authorities and construction sector company mentors and workers that may benefit from the developed BEE-VET products and the proposal for a common approach in the field of BEE-VET.The impact we expect to achieve could be summarized as follows:- increased competencies to design structured, up-to-date and practical training materials in the field of BEE-VET fostering the use of ICT;- increased knowledge on how to build long-term education-business partnerships to foster economic prosperity (with a focus on R&D and innovations);- establishment of a common framework in the BEE-VET and recognition of learning outcomes and qualifications.The desired long-term impact of the BEE-VET project is to contribute employability at EU level and economic prosperity through increasing the attractiveness of VET in Construction."

<< Objectives >>The DECODE project will boost preschool children cognitive development through the creation, testing and validation of innovative learning resources to be applied in kindergartens and at home, training course for teachers and workshops for parents, a cognitive development digital repository and many additional results. It is aimed at enhancing the quality and relevance of ECEC through innovative methods, tools and support mechanisms, with specific focus on children from disadvantaged backgrounds<< Implementation >>To achieve our aims, together with our partners (4 kindergartens, an association of preschool education, 2 providers of education materials and 1 university) we will co-create a number of Preschool Cognitive Development Resources, as well as test and validate these among 300 children, 12 teachers and 60 parents in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia. In addition we will conduct a large dissemination campaign to reach at least 2000 key stakeholders in ECEC from across Europe.<< Results >>We expect to boost preschoolers cognitive development through enhanced personal, social, learning to learn and basic literacy competences, improved sensory perception, imagination and fantasy, memory and reasoning, and communication skills, as well as decrease the chances for learning disadvantage and low proficiency of basic skills at later stage of life; increase the engagement of parents in their children's cognitive development; enhance KIGA teachers competences and professional development.

<< Objectives >>The INNOVATIVE STEPS project aims to enhance lower secondary school students’ key competences, as well as teachers' competences and professional development, through the development, piloting and promotion of a Sustainability Education programme, platform and teacher training course, which will also lead to enabling behavioural changes, sustainability-focused consumption habits and lifestyle. This will be achieved through transnational collaboration between 7 partners from 3 countries.<< Implementation >>The activities will be implemented in 4 WPs dedicated to: coordination and communication, monitoring, evaluation, risk management and budget control (WP1); design, development and exploitation of a Sustainability Education Programme and Platform (WP2); design and development of a Teacher Training Course and training teachers (WP3); and implementing a sharing and promotion campaign (WP4).<< Results >>Apart from the tangible results from each WP, we expect to benefit 150 students at lower secondary level,15 teachers and 2500 key stakeholders (during the project lifetime only and many more afterwards). Some of the intangible outcomes are: enhanced key competences (personal, social, learning to learn and citizenship competences), teaching competences, professional development, awareness levels, quality and relevance of the school education, building a sustainability mindset.

The main reason for carrying out the STARS project was that in the 21st century, it is essential to improve scientific and technical skills and strengthen competitiveness in Europe, which can only be achieved if the country has a sufficiently educated population. According to surveys, primary school pupils are insufficiently educated in science subjects, they lack interdisciplinary skills. In order to acquire relevant knowledge, it is very important that they learn in a conceptual structure, make observations, cooperate and make the most of current technological progress. At the same time, astronomy is included in science education only very marginally, and teachers often do not have sufficient knowledge, skills and methods to teach astronomy in an innovative way.For this reason, EXPOL PEDAGOGIKA s.r.o., the publishing house of textbooks for primary and secondary schools, has started to implement the international project STARS (Successfully Teaching AstRonomy in Schools) since 1 November 2017, the main goal of which is to support primary school teachers in teaching astronomy.The project brought together 7 organisations from Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, namely 3 schools, 1 renowned university, 1 non-governmental organisation focused on astronomy, a company creating innovative digital solutions in the school sector and a leading publisher of professional literature.The project focused on:•equipping teachers teaching at lower secondary education with innovative methods, knowledge, competencies and tools for teaching astronomy within the curriculum,•creating a training program for teaching astronomy, as ready to use educational tool for teacher training providers (e. g. universities, continuing education providers, observatories, astronomical associations, but also as a tool of self-development for individual use, etc.),• creating a concept of a new educational program for teaching astronomy, which reflects current trends and attitudes of pupils towards the modern teaching process,• supporting critical thinking, analytical and abstract perception in order to increase the level of knowledge acquisition by pupils, as well as the acquisition of relevant knowledge,•equipping the target groups of the project with freely available, language-relevant and high-quality educational resources for teaching astronomy.More than 3600 primary school pupils, science teachers, people involved in education, policy makers, academics and parents participated in various project activities: in the creation of outputs, their testing, validation, demonstration during workshops, targeted dissemination and their use in practice. The project lasted 34 months and further dissemination activities after its completion will ensure its sustainability.As part of the project, we implemented the following activities and outputs:- we designed, developed, tested and validated: STARS Methodical Handbook for Teachers: a handbook for lower secondary teachers teaching subjects involving astronomy; STARS Training Program for Teachers: offers an innovative and comprehensive approach to improving teachers' practical skills and providing them with further in-service training;-we designed, created, tested and launched the STARS Online Platform, which contains created outputs in digital form, which will enable the use and sustainability of project outputs in the future;-we created the STARS Concept for Astronomy Education Program, which provides ideas on how astronomical topics can be presented in a better way in terms of curriculum to pupils in the higher classes of primary schools;-we organised an online STARS dissemination conference for local and foreign participants, where we presented the outputs to the general public.All outputs are in 4 language versions – Slovak, Czech, Bulgarian and English.TARGET GROUPS: Teachers:- improving the knowledge, skills and competences of learning subjects related to astronomy,- increasing the capacity to offer interactive teaching methods and skills to motivate students to take an interest in science and especially astronomy.Pupils:- an inspiration to pursue the studies of astronomy in the future, - expanding the competencies of critical thinking and motivation to actively participate in the teaching process,- gaining relevant knowledge of astronomy.Politically active persons:- improving the ability to make decisions based on real needs and innovating curricula and curricula to meet the needs of modern societyOTHER STAKEHOLDERS:- gaining awareness of the close relationship between science and other basic skills,- directors: supporting and creating an environment for education in astronomy,- parents: supporting the child's interest in astronomy.PROJECT PARTNERS:- improving the capacity to cooperate at transnational level,- strengthening the reputation of the education sector through the creation of freely available innovative materials and platforms.