Learnings from the 2026 Scientix® Science Project Workshops: Never too early to STEM!

Everyone is curious, and young learners even more so. Cultivating that curiosity and providing young children with the skills and competencies to ask and answer questions in a structured way is the at heart of STE(A)M education. So why does it feel so hard?

This July, the 2026 Scientix® Science Project Workshop “OUTSTE(A)M Dissemination Workshop for teachers including, ECEC and primary teachers - Never too early to STEM!” brought together 65 educators from 19 countries to explore the topics of teaching STEM in an age-appropriate way, based on the learnings of the OUTSTE(A)M project.

STEM competencies in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and Primary education

It’s widely believed that “children are too young to understand STE(A)M”. The OUTSTE(A)M project identified this as a serious misconception which is preventing ECEC teachers from acquiring the skills they need to teach with confidence, and leads to the disengagement of pupils from STE(A)M. This training event highlighted the achievements and key lessons learned from the OUTSTE(A)M project, with a focus on presenting the educational resources developed and the best practices that emerged during the development of the OUTSTE(A)M toolkit.

With a focus on integrated STEM learning, this workshop explored how transversal STEM skills and competencies can be nurtured starting from ECEC, cultivating active and engaged citizens from an early age. The participants, comprising educators from ECEC, primary and secondary education settings, were introduced to the core pillars of the OUTSTE(A)M project and discussed practical approaches and hands-on examples to promote integrated STEM education outdoors and indoors, informed by the project’s findings and experiences.

During the workshop, our participants had a chance to learn, exchange and reflect on several hot-topics such as contextualising STEM skills for sustainability through outdoor learning; linking STEM skills to real-world careers and nurturing a gender-inclusive mindset, both inside and outside the classroom. We are sharing the outcomes of these discussions below!

Contextualising STEM skills for sustainability through outdoor learning

Bringing sustainability and STEM topics outside the classroom does not only serve to ground them in the real world but also addresses the increased needs of younger learners to engage in hands-on, outdoor activities. If you don’t know where to start, take inspiration from the OUTSTE(A)M toolkit, including games and learning scenarios that combine indoor and outdoor activities, and are mapped to sustainability competences.

To further contextualise STEM activities within real-world scientific research, consider exploring outdoor-based Citizen Science activities. Your students can turn into ‘research assistants’ helping university professionals conduct real-life research while learning more about how STEM research works. If you don’t know where to start, you can use resources from the Scientix® Citizen Science Collection, supported by CROPS, to find some Citizen Science activities for your context!

Linking STEM skills to real-world careers

Transversal skills developed through STEM education – problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, adaptability resilience – are more valuable than ever in a fast-changing technological landscape. This is why quality STEM education is necessary to nurture a diverse, capable, gender-balanced future workforce. Inspire young learners to learn more about STEM careers by listening to the stories of real STEM professionals using the OUTSTE(A)M job profiles and accompanying activities or the wider collection of job profiles on the Scientix repository. 

During the workshops, educators also reflected on the importance of engaging other stakeholders when discussing the topic. For example, you can reach out to industry representatives in your area to conduct school visits or invite them as guest speakers in your classroom. Or, if you don’t want to look that far, you can look amongst your students’ parents for inspiring STEM career examples and engage the whole school community.

Nurture a gender-inclusive environment both inside and outside the classroom

A dedicated session on ‘Inclusive STEM education’ focused on the gender dimension of inclusion and was grounded in nurturing empathy and social-emotional competencies in students in authentic settings. Participants discussed strategies to promote inclusivity based on the OUTSTE(A)M guidelines: using gender-neutral and balanced educational materials; focus feedback on the process rather than assumed ‘natural talent’; Introduce female role models, such as the job profiles in the OUTSTE(A)M Toolkit; ensure all children have access to and feel welcome in all learning areas outdoors and indoors; adapting all STEM experiences to ensure meaningful participation and engagement for every child, regardless of ability or background.

Are you looking for more inspiration? Another key resource the workshops participants identified were the tools from the TINKER project , which promotes gender-inclusive teaching practices a student-centred environment in informatics. Some practical tips and techniques for educators based on the TINKER MOOC ‘Teach informatics using authentic learning and gender inclusion’  include assessing and raising awareness of gender bias; using gender inclusive language; combating stereotypes directly; designing balanced educational activities; providing accessible and diverse role-models; opening discussions on gender norms and employing experiential learning.

Watch the video about the 2026 Science Project Workshops and Scientix Awards below!