Executive Summary
“D4.2 Report on the implementation activities of the STEAM Labs” summarizes the implementation phase of the SENSE.STEAM methodology in the 12 STEAM Labs and collates initial findings on activities and participants. The intention is to show on what the implementation phase was built, how it went, and what we learned from it.
The background of the implementation phase laid in WP3 and its components, such as the reports covering practices, stakeholders, and the unique SENSE. methodology as well as accompanying tools such as the pool of practices or the SENSE. manifesto (Chapter 3). In initial phases the STEAM Labs set up launch events and conducted forms of needs assessments as portrayed in the previous deliverable D4.1 – the results of which are reflected in Chapter 2.
All STEAM Labs developed a local strategy affected by their context and conditions and based on the overall objectives to implement SENSE. in three progressive levels Awareness – Action – Advocacy. The resulting activities can be divided into learning sequences and dissemination actions & discussions. Their implementation was supported by different instruments, i.e. specific meetings, guidance documents, and reporting mechanisms including flexible templates.
A total of at least 244 implementation activities were carried out, of which 145 were categorised as learning sequences or part of those. As counting recipients was not feasible within some of the larger dissemination actions, exact participant data is available for 188 of the implemented activities, summing up to a total of 4302 involved stakeholders (Tab. 11).
As the learning sequences represent the actual application of SENSE., they were of particular interest. Influenced by the objectives, target groups, and conditions, and supported by an initial workflow of designing SENSE. sequences (Fig. 19) along with what WP3 had provided, the STEAM Labs applied
- 13 different activities labelled as learning sequences in 98 implementations.
- 17 different activities labelled as practices in a total of 63 implementations.
while reporting their implementation and sharing experiences with the WP4 coordination team. Some of the learning sequences deployed are highlighted (Tab. 9), others also showed potential, and all of them contributed to a revised and elaborate process of defining and designing SENSE. sequences for the project’s future as outlined in Chapter 5.1. The simplified workflow contains of a four-step process: framework – needs – practices to learning sequence – reflection.
The SENSE. beneficiaries as outlined in the DoA (part B) showed an overall acceptance of the (parts of) learning sequences and often reacted with proactive engagement. Albeit Chapter 5.2 addresses the diverse participants, detailed information about impact is to be found in the evaluation report D4.3.
Overall, the activities successfully took place in various conditions involving diverse participants and settings. Active engagement with space, inclusion especially of girls and women, and collaboration in creative processes were evident. Implementations fostered direct sensory connections to the world and highlighted interdisciplinary perspectives. The phase of the STEAM Labs successfully ensured applying the underlying methodological principles, confirming the potential of the SENSE.STEAM approach and harvesting results to further improve elements and processes towards the final product.
A special highlight is the “Lab stories”, where the individuality of the various places is depicted and even complemented by featured videos of facilitators presenting their STEAM Lab. (cf. 2.3).