STEAM in Youthreach
Full STEAM Ahead – A partnership approach to STEAM in Youthreach
Youthreach is a nationwide programme that provides early school leavers with opportunities to progress their education and acquire certification in supportive, alternative settings. It is a crucial part of the education sector with almost 6,000 learners. There is considerable interest within Youthreach in developing and expanding the STEAM education currently on offer.
This current two-year project (2023 – 2024) is a continuation of the initial Full STEAM Ahead! project (2021 – 2022) which successfully established the appetite and willingness of the sector to embrace STEAM by:
- Developing, testing and embedding a 21st century STEAM education model (aligned with QQIL3, QQIL4 and LCA of the National Qualifications Framework) in three Youthreach centres.
- Providing up to 120 hours of STEAM education to 60 young people in three Youthreach centres.
- Engaging 1,500 young people in hands-on, inspiring extra-curricular STEAM projects (in the wider Youthreach sector).
- Enhancing links between industries providing STEAM apprenticeships and three Youthreach centres.
- Developing educational management, teaching and extra-curricular resources and disseminating them to the wider Youthreach sector through a national event, web-presence, regional seminars, online trainings and consultancy support.
To build on this, in the current project (2023 – 2024), we will support the continuation of STEAM in the Youthreach sector by:
- Providing follow-up support to Youthreach Centres and staff who participated in the initial project to continue the delivery of STEAM in their centres.
- Expanding access to STEAM learning resources developed around a pedagogically robust Framework for STEAM Education in Youthreach, and engaging with centres not yet using STEAM.
- Working with professionals in Education and Training Boards nationwide to further develop tried and tested STEAM learning resources to be QQI accredited to ensure it is embedded in the Youthreach sector.
- Delivering Continual Professional Development modules to additional Youthreach Centres and staff not already engaged.
- Developing and delivering a Professional Learning and Development Module to Youthreach staff to prepare them to implement new STEAM QQI Awards, accredited by DCU.
Professional Development STEAM training in your region
Heavily subsidised with a variety of activities
We are delighted to announce STEAM training that we will deliver in-person at a number of regional locations nationwide and tailor to meet the specific CPD needs of your staff and the interests of your learners.
This training will help you to plan and deliver workshops and programmes that offer learners cross-curricular experiences that include Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Maths (STEAM).
Learning Resources for STEAM in Youthreach
Find downloadable resources to help plan and deliver STEAM sessions and activities with Youthreach learners in your centre, and a detailed Framework for STEAM in Youthreach, developed in partnership with STEAM pedagogical experts at CASTeL, DCU.
This project is funded by Science Foundation Ireland. It is a partnership project between NYCI, the National Co-ordination Unit, Office of the National Co-ordinator for Youthreach/VTOS, CASTeL, DCU (the Centre for the Advancement of STEM Teaching and Learning), and ETBI (Education and Training Boards Ireland).
The STEAM in Youthreach project is supported by the Tomar Trust