College STEM project in finals of Global Game Changer Awards
Glasgow Clyde College’s Community Learning and Development (CLD) team is going global as finalists in the Global Game Changer Awards, for their innovative approach to STEM education and training. The awards recognise innovation, intrapreneurship, cultural change and sustainability.
The College’s Family Learning in Science programme offered parents with little or no previous experience in science, the opportunity to undertake a series of learning experiences related to science, technology, engineering and math subjects in a bid to become more engaged with their children’s learning.
Run in partnership with St. Mary’s primary school in Glasgow’s Maryhill, the College’s CLD officers worked with parents to co-design the 20-week programme identifying areas that would enable them to provide support with their children’s school work, but also engage them as adult learners.
Parents attended college classes at St. Mary’s alongside home study and tutor-led sessions at the Glasgow Science Centre, ensuring continued enthusiasm and attendance of students for the duration of the course.
Madeline Mcgeachie, head teacher at St. Mary’s, said: “The motivation for the parents to undertake these areas of study was driven by their need to be more engaged with their children’s learning. However, the learning programme ultimately engaged the parents in gaining greater knowledge for themselves as adult learners which has been extremely rewarding.
“As well as increasing confidence in their ability to support their children in these subjects, the programme also resulted in the parents, for the first time, gaining a qualification in a science based subject.”
In the early stages of discussion, parents also acknowledged gaps in literacy and numeracy skills which had impacted their ability to support children in STEM subjects. To support this, Glasgow Clyde College created a bridging course to help minimise gaps, build confidence and develop skills. Students also completed a certificated environmental studies programme delivered by the Worker Education Association (WEA) and undertook a health and wellbeing course delivered by Glasgow Clyde College.
Sheila White, CLD manager at Glasgow Clyde College, said: “The success of this particular programme has been phenomenal. The Family Learning in Science programme not only provided a great support to children at home, but it was hugely beneficial for parents to learn something new, receive a qualification and feel a sense of achievement.”
Glasgow Clyde College, which is STEM assured, works with nurseries, primary and secondary schools across Glasgow with the aim of developing creative, innovative and practical ways to engage parents, particularly in areas they may find challenging within the school curriculum such as STEM, numeracy and literacy.
Sheila continues: “Watching the progression of parents through this course has been incredible. We are already in discussions with several primary schools across the city who are keen to work with us to develop similar programmes that can target parents and carers within the community.
“The Global Game Changer nomination helps raise the profile of the work we do and confirms our commitment to working within the community. Programmes such as these cannot be delivered in silo, it’s about taking a partnership approach and working out the best method and delivery for each programme.”
Glasgow Clyde College’s CLD team secured funding through Glasgow City Council’s Fairer Communities programme to deliver a variety of Community Based Adult Learning programmes with a focus on promoting lifelong learning and skills development, promoting social and community inclusion, equality of access and to reduce barriers to engagement in learning.