Partnering with parents in STEM

About this course
Learning outcomes
Day-by-day programe
Register for the course
Course calendar

This course is designed and run in accordance with the Erasmus+ Key Action 1 Quality Standards for Courses and is listed on the European School Education Platform.

Partnering with
parents in STEM

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About this course

Partnering with Parents in STEM course is designed to empower educators in enhancing STEM education by fostering a collaborative partnership with parents. Participants will learn strategies for effective communication, leveraging parents’ perspectives, and creating a supportive STEM learning environment. The training aims to shift the current narrative around parent-teacher roles in STEM, emphasizing mutual understanding, strengths-based approaches, and schoolwide consensus.

The course will involve participants presenting their group projects, followed by a course wrap-up and discussion on implementing these strategies in their own STEM learning environments. Participants will leave with a comprehensive toolkit for engaging parents effectively in STEM education, fostering a collaborative and supportive learning community.


Learning outcomes

  1. Understand the Parent Perspective. Gain insights into parents’ expectations, concerns, and aspirations regarding their child’s STEM education.
  2. Effective Communication in STEM. Develop skills for clear, consistent, and constructive communication with parents about STEM learning.
  3. Utilize “Parentspeak”: Learn to communicate in a relatable, non-technical language that resonates with parents.
  4. Apply Strengths-Based Language: Focus on students’ strengths and potentials in STEM, encouraging positive dialogue with parents.
  5. Foster Schoolwide Consensus: Understand the importance of and strategies for creating a unified approach to STEM education within the school community.
  6. View Parents as Partners: Develop strategies for engaging parents as active partners in their child’s STEM education journey.

Day-by-day programe

Training usually takes place between 9:00 and 14:00, followed by after-class activities, that are optional.

DAY 1 - Introduction to STEM Education and Parental Roles

The program begins with an initial gathering where we’ll cover practical details and introduce the schedule. During this session, participants will have the opportunity to meet each other and share their individual expectations, requirements, and preferences concerning the program’s content and instructional approaches.

Following this, we will delve into an introduction to partnering with parents in STEM education, and discuss its significance. We will understanding the Parent Perspective, and explore parental expectations and concerns in STEM.

DAY 2 - How to communicate with parents about STEM

  • Principles of Effective Communication in STEM
  • Role-Playing Scenarios - Practicing Clear and Constructive Communication
  • The Art of “Parentspeak” - Simplifying Complex Concepts
  • Interactive Group Activity - Translating STEM Jargon into Parent-Friendly Language
  • Introduction to Strengths-Based Approach in Education
  • Workshop - Crafting Strengths-Based Messages for Parent-Teacher Meetings

DAY 3 - What to communicate with parents about STEM

  • Reaching parents at large: schoolwide beginning of the year letter, homework communication from the school to parents, mid-year homework survey.
  • Reaching parents as a class: beginning of the year survey, beginning of the year letter from the teacher, unit preview letters, weekly letters, mid- and end-of-year surveys from the teacher.
  • Reaching parents as individuals.

DAY 4 - Fostering Schoolwide Consensus

  • Strategies for Building Schoolwide Consensus in STEM.
  • Group Project - Developing a Schoolwide Plan for Parent Engagement in STEM.
  • Hosting parents events: events non specific to STEM, STEM specific events.

DAY 5 - Evaluation and farewell

The analysis of gained knowledge and skills and key learning points are discussed as well as planning the follow up activities, dissemination and implementation of learning outcomes.

Closing Ceremony: Certificate distribution and closing remarks, emphasizing ongoing support and resources for participants as they implement equity in STEM learning.


Register for the course

You can register for the course by filling the following form.