The Global STEM Awards is a progressive award programme that promotes and develops the application of STEM learning to global challenges we face today.
UK STEM Ltd is a STEM Educational consultancy and service business, passionate about raising awareness of the opportunities globally in STEM careers and the development of STEM learning and skills for children and young people. As part of their work with schools and educators across the UK and internationally, UK STEM Ltd have developed a STEM award programme to engage young learners in global challenges that will also develop essential skills. Motivate – Inspire – Reward is the ethos behind the Global STEM Awards. It is a progressive programme that enables young people to explore a variety of STEM-related challenges that will form the basis of a project that they will work on to then claim and achieve an award. The project that learners can chose to work on promotes and encourages their curiosity in STEM. As part of their project, learners will recognise the essential skills that they are developing and the application of these skills in their project. Learners will therefore be able to evidence the skills they have used and recognise the importance of these skills. Learners can work towards achieving an award at bronze, silver and gold levels working through a framework of criteria that needs to be met at each level. The Global STEM Awards are suitable for use in schools (primary key stage 3 upwards), colleges, STEM/Science clubs, Youth Clubs as well as home educators.
As well raising awareness of the importance of essential skills that are transferrable and particularly key to STEM learning and careers, the Global STEM Awards ask learners to reflect and evidence the skills that they recognise that they have been using and developing in their Global STEM Award project. This element is a mandatory section of the award claim and the validation process for achieving an award. The award claim process includes images of the Skills Builder essential skills icons and use the same titles and language for skills that the learner may have been developing as part of their award project so that there is consistency for learners who already identify with and use the Skills Builder framework either in school or in other activities. The progression through the Global STEM Awards allows the learner to continue to develop their essential skills and gives further opportunity to reflect upon this at all levels of the programme.