LUMA Centre Finland will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Finnish independence by launching an innovative StarT initiative to give concrete tools and practical support for implementing interdisciplinary project work in schools and hobby groups. The aim of StarT is to create a novel operating culture focusing on project work by children and youth to support the Finnish National Curriculum. The most distinguished projects will be presented in regional StarT Festivals and national StarT Gala. Through StarT, every child and youth can be a Star!
StarT is all about building the future through science, technology, research, arts, skills, volition, wellbeing, emotions, and teamwork.
Communality and learning through projects
In StarT model, children and youth, aged 3 to 19, work on bigger or smaller science and technology projects in teams. The goal is to implement project work in kindergartens, schools and hobby groups in close collaboration with e.g. universities and businesses.
Learning material and ideas for projects
LUMA Centre Finland will produce material in Finnish and Swedish (and partly also in English) to support the project work. All material will be freely available on StarT website that is also the hub for spreading good practices and providing online support for instructors. In addition, StarT will offer training in project work for teachers and instructors at all levels of education.
Enthusiastic StarT ambassadors help in implementation
LUMA Centre Finland will train Finnish pre-service science teachers and engineers as well as other volunteers to be StarT ambassadors, who will help the kindergartens, schools and hobby groups to launch project work and acquire StarT operating culture.
Combining science and arts in learning
Through combining science and arts it is possible to implement communal activities such as science theatre. The aim is that the projects will combine science subjects, mathematics, and technology in creative ways with other disciplines and forms of art, such as music, visual arts, drama, and physical exercise.
Every child can be a Star!
StarT is a four-step model. The possibility to move on to the next level motivates the children or youth in their project work. Each participant gets recognition for their work at StarT Days, held at their kindergarten, school or hobby group, where all projects are presented. The projects that are voted the best will move on to regional StarT Festivals, where the participants’ peers can cheer the team. The best teams will be awarded at the national StarT Gala.
More information on StarT coming soon at LUMA.fi and in LUMA newsletter.
LUMA Centre Finland launches StarT initiative as a part of Finland 100 celebrations.
The collaborative partners will be announced later.
The aim is to implement StarT to be part of Finnish education culture.
Text: Jenni Vartiainen. Translation: Elisa Lautala.
