Creation of Stem-Centers Within Experimental Activities (Best Practices)

The article is devoted to the analysis of the organization of the creation of STEM centers as innovative educational environments aimed at the formation and development of STEM competencies and creative activity of education seekers, the development of innovative models of education and the professional improvement of pedagogical workers in the STEM direction. It was found that the organization of the creation of STEM centers requires the provision of organizational, scientific-methodical, material and technical conditions and personnel support. It was determined that the organizational conditions include the development and adoption of the necessary regulatory documents that determine the principles of STEM-centers' activities. The scientific and methodological conditions provide for the development and adaptation of educational programs and educational and methodological materials, lesson plans and manuals focused on the integration of STEM disciplines. Material and technical conditions provide for the availability of modern equipment, computer classes, laboratories, workshops, software and other technical means and resources. Staffing requires the involvement of qualified teachers, trainers, instructors, methodologists, specialists in STEM disciplines. The study is aimed at studying the best practices of creating STEM centers within the framework of the implementation of an innovative educational project at the all-Ukrainian level on the topic "Organizational and scientific-methodical conditions for the creation of STEM centers" in 2022-2027. The author of the article provided practical recommendations for organizing the creation of STEM centers, taking into account the results of the survey of basic educational institutions of the innovative educational project and the needs of modern education.