Today’s students in secondary schools are not enough interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). At the same moment, STEM orientated school subjects are helping students to develop the skills needed to succeed in the global labor market, especially taking into account that scientific and technological innovations have become increasingly important as students face the benefits and challenges of globalization and a knowledge-based economy.

Survey among the students in PPs high schools shows that not enough students consider a career in STEM so main questions that arise and lead to the idea for preparation of this project proposal were:

How to overpass stereotypes that STEM are hard and boring? Can the modern technology help us?

The main aim of the project is development and use of new software solution – innovative ICT based educational tool (Augmented Reality – AR learning module) to connect students with STEM fields, as a non-traditional approach beyond the limits of classic classroom.

Main objectives of the project are:

• to create strategic partnership for transnational cooperation among different socio-economic organizations (education institutions, civil sector and ICT SMEs);
• to improve educational approaches in three secondary schools with new innovative educational tools;
• to increase awareness of the importance of the STEM school subjects;
• to increase students’ interest for STEM subjects in school.

Specific objectives of the project are:

• to create of a Strategic action plan for transnational cooperation in the field of educational development with help of new innovative educational tool;
• to develop new ICT based educational tool by using of Augmented Reality;
• to increase teachers computer literacy and competences and skills to use AR learning module and OER;
• to establish Q&A database with STEM related questions and answers;
• to improve students results in STEM subject with help of OER and AR learning module;
• to improve students teamwork skills through the use of AR learning module;
• to share the best practice in teaching and learning by eTwinning module.

34 participants from project partners’ organizations

30 teachers from Secondary schools in internal dissemination and long-term teaching assignment events

126 students from Secondary schools in internal dissemination and long-term teaching assignment events

120 local stakeholders on 3 national multipliers events

Activities planned to be realized in the frame of this project are:

Project Management and Implementation activities – activity necessary to reach project goals and will be carry out by all project partner.

• 4 transnational project partner meetings
• Development of 3 intellectual outputs:
  • AR learning module
  • Manual How to use AR learning module
  • Strategic action plan for transnational cooperation in the field of education – for its development with help of innovative methods
• 2 Short-term training events to train teachers how to use AR learning module and OER in every day classes
• 2 long term teaching assignments to test the AR learning module in order to improve it and to implement this module in every day classes
• 1 Short-term exchanges of groups of pupils – mobility of students and teacher to share experience to promote and improve the transnational cooperation for use of innovative methods in the future
• 3 multipliers events – National dissemination events in Bulgaria and Croatia and Final conference in Macedonia, with 120 local stakeholders (40 per event) – /and 20 foreign on final conference

Expected result from the project are:

• Established Strategic Partnership for transnational cooperation between three regions from three different countries which will lead to future cooperation in different areas;
• Created strategic action plan for transnational cooperation in the field of education development with help of innovative methods;
• Developed new innovative educational tool ( AR learning module) that can be used in future;
• Developed Handbooks for implementation of AR learning module in STEM related school subjects;
• 9 secondary school teachers with increased competences and skill for using of OER and AR learning module;
• Developed Q&A database fulfilled with 400 questions and 1600 possible answers;
• Increased interested among the students for STEM subjects;
• Prepared dissemination material: website, leaflets, brochures, posters ;
• Increased awareness on regional, national and international level about the importance of STEM subjects in school and the benefits from the use of new educational tools trough dissemination activities and project multiplier events project.

The potential long term expected benefits from the project are :

• Increased attractiveness of the STEM disciplines and consequently enlarge the number of the students choosing a technology oriented career/educational path;
• To ensure the European labor market with a more adequate number of engineers and technologists.