STEM technologies in the integrated course "Art" for the adaptation cycle of basic secondary education

The article examines the career-oriented potential of model educational programs for the integrated course “Art” for grades 5–6 within the New Ukrainian School reform framework. The author focuses on project-based activities to foster students’ career awareness and develop key competencies. The study substantiates the possibilities of integrating STEM technologies into art education and highlights their role in modeling real-world creative and technological professional practices. The research analyzes the structure and content of four current model programs, emphasizing their common focus on achieving the educational outcomes set by the State Standard of Basic Secondary Education, despite differences in integration approaches, content, and activity formats. The study demonstrates that project-based learning in art courses goes beyond traditional artistic activities and includes creating media projects, digital designs, video productions, and interactive exhibitions. This creates opportunities for students to simulate professional tasks typical of specialists in design, media, stage arts, animation, and creative industries. The programs actively promote students’ engagement with digital tools and multimedia technologies, fostering their information, media, and digital literacy. The author concludes that modern art courses in the context of the New Ukrainian School are increasingly focused on the integration of interdisciplinary technologies, in particular digital and STEM competencies. The programs demonstrate a clear tendency to expand traditional art's boundaries through multimedia tools, digital design, computer graphics, video editing, and the creation of digital musical and stage products. Accordingly, modern art programs are becoming an essential factor in the early career orientation of students, combining art with STEM approaches, encouraging creative teamwork, and introducing students to professions at the intersection of art, technology, and media. The paper highlights the need for further research on developing methodological recommendations for integrating STEM technologies into art education and designing interdisciplinary career-oriented courses for the creative economy of the digital age.