The “STEM4CLIM8 Conference: Hands-on educational play approaches to STEM and Climate Change” Multiplier Event was held in Cascais, Portugal, on September 29 and October 1, 2022.
The Multiplier Event, held as part of the Erasmus+ project STEM4CLIM8, of which NUCLIO is a partner, was attended by 50 participants, 40 from Portugal and 10 internationals. It took place at ES Frei Gonçalo de Azevedo, a secondary school in the São Domingos de Rana Parish.
The program was divided into two days containing different activities. The first day (September 29) concentrated on a series of presentations by education specialists about engaging children into programming and STEM in general. Several topics were discussed, including Innovation and Collaboration in Education, the use of games and hands-on activities in STEM education, and how to introduce Climate Change in primary education.
After the presentations, a STEM exhibit was held at the school main hall with different activities available for the school students, including the STEM4CLIM8 console and computers with Minecraft Education and the STEM4CLIM8 scenarios. This exhibit was attended by a large audience of stakeholders, including the Portuguese Minister of Education, local authorities, parents, and educators.
On the second day (October 1), a 3-hour long workshop was offered to teachers. Presented by Dr. Gustavo Rojas from NUCLIO, it consisted of a presentation about the resources prepared in the framework of the STEM4CLIM8 project, namely the console, physical computing blocks, lesson plans, and Minecraft World missions.
Following the presentation, the teachers had the opportunity to explore the materials at their own pace, exploring the missions in Minecraft Education, and giving valuable feedback about the lesson plans and how they can improve their lessons.
The Multiplier Event received a positive evaluation from participants, assessed by an anonymous survey after the activities.