Global STEM Award

The Global STEM Awards scheme rewards students for completing STEM activities and provides a framework to encourage higher levels of engagement in learning. Alongside completing their STEM activities participants are asked to think globally and find out about careers linked to the activity.

Suitable for young people aged 9 to 18, the Global STEM Awards offers a progressive reward programme that encourages young people to consider, investigate and research real-world STEM challenges. Ideal for Science and STEM Clubs or to use as part of a STEM Curriculum, participants can work individually or in a small team to produce a project that focuses on one of 9 global locations (including marine or space) and a chosen STEM-based context or challenge such as transport, energy, conservation, exploration, health & nutrition or communication. Participants will also need to consider the relevant STEM careers and their pathways as part of their project. Global STEM Awards are also aligned to the Skills Builder framework and participants will also be required to reflect upon the skills they have developed and used as part of their project investigations and production.

How can the Global STEM Awards be used?

There are 4 levels of the Global STEM Awards – bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Within levels bronze, silver and gold there are four progressive standards that can be achieved so that the awards can be differentiated and adapted to all ages and abilities.  The validation framework sets out the criteria that participants need to meet within their projects in order to achieve an award.

Learners can participate in the Global STEM Awards either individually or a part of a class, working in small groups to ensure all make an equal contribution across all areas of the criteria.

What does a Global STEM Award project look like?

The main criteria for a Global STEM Award at any level is that there is a STEM context or ‘challenge’ to the project, and this can be anything – the suggestions of themes that we have include: conservation, exploration, communication, energy, transport etc. The second criteria is a global location link to the project – again this can be anywhere in the world including space or marine-based/under the seas/oceans. The final criteria that needs to be met is a focus on Careers and research that the learners undertake as part of their project. An example could be some research into the types of real-life roles of the professionals that would be involved in the project or linked in some way. For older learners this could also include some research into the pathways into these careers.

The ‘look’ of the project can be anything from a project book of work undertaken including the research and investigation elements to the project or set out in a power point presentation that might have been used as part of the project.  It can include some photos or a log of any experiments that were undertaken, the creation/design of a model or piece of artwork (posters etc)

How do I claim a Global STEM Award?

One the project is complete; the teacher or supervising adult is responsible for checking that the project meets the required criteria for the level and the standard of the award to be claimed. This can be checked against the validation framework attached.  A Global STEM Award claim form will need to be completed and signed off for each learner individually.  You can email us for the appropriate forms for the levels and standards being claimed at this point and we will send them to you.  There is also a section of the claim form that the learner will need to complete – this is where they reflect on their project and the skills that they have developed and used a spart of the project.

There is no time limit to claim an award. Typically, projects can be completed in a term or longer – depending on the time you have to allocate to this.  When a claim form is sent to us, we will issue an invoice for total number of awards/certificates being claimed.  The cost for bronze, silver and gold levels (at all standards) is currently £7.50+VAT each plus P&P. For orders of 10 or more a discount can be applied.

Costs

What is the Skills Builder framework and how does this fit in with the Global STEM Awards?

If you are already familiar and working with Skills Builder, this also can be aligned also to the Global STEM Awards by using the same criteria to evidence the 8 essential skills. For more information on Skills Builder click here.