SENSE 6th General Assembly in Tallinn: Enriching STEAM Education Through Collaboration
From February 19th to 22nd, the SENSE consortium came together in Tallinn for our 6th General Assembly. Partners shared ideas, discussed challenges, and mapped out the next steps to enrich STEAM education through our SENSE.STEAM approach. It was a lively gathering filled with coffee-fueled chats, hands-on sessions, and plenty of forward-thinking conversations.
Day One: Setting the Stage and Learning from Past Insights
Our first morning began with a casual welcome session at Velvet’s office. We grabbed coffee, settled in, and asked ourselves a simple question: What do we hope to achieve by the end of Day 1? This question set a positive tone and kept everyone focused on concrete outcomes.
Soon after, we revisited a key takeaway from GEYC’s previous meeting in New York with renowned scholar André Lepecki, Head of Performance Studies at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and a member of the SENSE. project’s International Advisory Board, who had shared insights on the critical role of the arts within STEAM and the value of the SENSE.STEAM approach. Even though he couldn’t join us in Tallinn, his reflections on how art fosters both creativity and critical thinking resonated strongly. At that NYC gathering, we explored how movement and performance practices could seamlessly intersect with science and technology, making learning more immersive and engaging. You can read more about that inspiring session here.
Building on these artistic perspectives, our partners from GEYC shared fresh ideas gathered during the ECOSOC partnership forum, focusing on SDG 5 and SDG 8. They highlighted how global collaboration—especially at the policy and institutional levels—can spark entirely new approaches to STEAM. It was a reminder that our project isn’t happening in a vacuum; it’s part of a worldwide conversation about the future of education.
We wrapped up the morning with a deep dive into empathy-driven design thinking led by Amid Moradganjeh. His interactive session challenged us to step into students’ shoes and consider the emotional journey they take when learning. Short breaks (and more coffee!) kept us energized, and by lunchtime everyone was buzzing with fresh perspectives and practical ideas.
Day Two: Engaging the World and Moving Forward
The next morning kicked off with a quick recap of Day One. We then turned our attention to the projects communication and dissemination KPIs. These KPIs help us track our progress and keep our eyes on the big picture: making STEAM learning accessible, effective, and exciting for educators and students alike.
Bringing in Early Adopters
A major focal point was how to reach out to early adopters—those forward-thinking teachers, schools, and institutions ready to test our tools and offer feedback. How many should we bring on board initially? What support do they need from us? And how do we keep them engaged for the long haul? Lively discussions followed, touching on communication strategies, resource distribution, and the importance of hearing real-world classroom feedback as we refine our materials.
Building Momentum in the Afternoon
In the afternoon, teams huddled around laptops and whiteboards to finalize editorial briefs for activities, sketch out the framework for our toolkits, and map out a user journey for our digital roadmap.
By late afternoon, we had pinned down timelines and assigned tasks, making sure everyone was clear on the path ahead. It felt like a productive meeting of minds, reinforced by plenty of brainstorming breaks and informal chats.
Looking Ahead
This consortium meeting was more than just a formal gathering—it was a chance to reaffirm our shared vision of transformative STEAM education. We left Tallinn energized by our collective progress and excited about the work that lies ahead.