STEM Beyond: Extending STEM from your early childhood service
Children learn in the context of relationships with important caregivers. Within early childhood, it is critical for educators and teachers to actively build relationships with children’s families to ensure children’s learning needs are met. STEM Beyond is an introduction to this practice principle, offering practical ways to engage with families through a STEM (Science Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) lens.
I really enjoyed the ideas of involving community into the STEM programs as well as finding out new ways of bringing STEM into the kindergarten.STEM Beyond participant, 2023
Upcoming sessions
Virtual sessions are open to all early childhood educators and teachers who are working with children at a service that receives Victorian government funding for a kindergarten program.
Sessions are held virtually on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at the beginning of each school term.
Select a date and time to book
Please note: Participants do not have to have completed STEM Curious to participate in a STEM Beyond session as they cover different content. Participants who are new to the key role STEM plays in early childhood are encouraged to complete STEM Curious.
Eligibility
We are thrilled to offer STEM Beyond as a free program in partnership with the Department of Education (Victoria) for educators and teachers working with children at services that receive funding for a kindergarten program, i.e. have the purple ‘kinder tick’).
Including room leaders, educators, ECTs, Educational leaders (or a combination of the above), if you fulfil the above criteria, you are eligible to attend this workshop.
To check if your centre is eligible, search for your service at: Find A Kinder Program – Department of Education, Victoria.
If you have any questions regarding eligibility, you can email us at [email protected].
Additional information
STEM Beyond shows you ways to better engage with your families through a ‘STEM lens’. This includes a review of the structure of the VEYLDF and why partnerships with families are so integral to children’s development. The main part of the session focuses on ideas and strategies applicable to a variety of service types, before finishing with a deep dive into a ‘Nature’ theme. We also include a Q&A session at the end to ensure you are leaving with all your questions answered!
Early childhood professionals work in partnership with all families within communities to build links between home and other settings a child attends. This provides greater consistency and complementarity for the child.VEYLDF, p9
This is encapsulated within the VEYLDF Practice Principle of Partnerships with Families.
Museum Teachers
Museum Teachers welcomes early childhood teachers and early childhood educators employed by an early childhood service.