In Santiago de Chile, on March 31 to April 1st 2016, the first Regional Meeting of the Experimento Program in Latin America was successfully held, uniting partners from all 6 countries were the Program is being implemented; Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Peru.
The event was a instance for the different institutions to meet, and exchange experiences on the implementation of the Experimento Program. Also, they had the opportunity to actively participate with high quality professors from Germany, listen to their presentations. They could interact and learn from Prof. Manfred Prenzel, President of the National Council of Science, and professor at Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Education, Germany; Prof. Kristina Reiss, Dean at TUM School of Education, Technical University of Munich, Germany; and Prof. Eva Maria Lankes, Chair for STEM Didactics, TUM School of Education/Project lead for Experimento evaluation International.
The event was divided in two days, with different modules and workshops, reviewing different aspects of implementations and professional exchange: Platforms and Alliances, Teacher Education, Presentation of the Program and Implementation and Evaluation of Experimento. Each country had the opportunity to present their experiences and ways of implementing the program, having the opportunity to create bonds of confidence with the other Latin American institutions and exchange knowledge in different workshop activities.
These are ambitious and urgent subjects, necessary to set up and implement Experimento program successfully. One key conclusion was clearly set up: STEM education needs to be promoted for years to come, and – in the end – to achieve the key objective that unites all the participants in the Program: that all children, regardless of their background, language or culture, are given the best possible educational opportunities in science and technology.
Three important challenges will prove to be on-going in the future:
“Acting in networks and forums”, to support the process of improving STEM education in practice and politics in a focused systematic manner.
“Looking outside the box”, with the participants of this first “think tank” working directly with Experimento, as well as those actors concerned and responsible for making public policy in their national contexts, impulsing future think tanks.
The Experimento community should be led by the motto of “think-and-do-tank”.
“Evaluation” is key for all. It´s not the quantity but above all the quality of the commitment that counts. It´s no help if Experimento is used in hundreds of classrooms, but no child understands the simplest scientific and technical connections. It is necessary to assess wether Experimento is achieving its aims and contribute to better teaching and learning.
“Communication and collaboration” among the partner institutions and committed actors to improve STEM education and working with Experimento encloses a huge potential.
As Siemens Stiftung we expect this was the beginning of a long term relationship among partners, opening the doors to future opportunities exchanging experiences and forming alliances that will allow Experimento Program to perfect science education, technology and innovation and it’s development in the different countries and the region.
Regional Meeting Experimento in Latin America
