Under the STEAM Innovation project, NUCLIO opened a 50-hour accredited training course named “Change Makers – Educational Community Projects” at Escola Básica Conde de Oeiras, in Portugal. With 16 teachers already enrolled, this programme is bringing STEAM Innovation directly into classrooms in the Municipality of Oeiras.
The training is designed for educators across all levels of schooling, as well as teachers in special education. It encourages teachers to embrace experimentation and collaboration, using methodologies such as Inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE), Design Thinking, Open Schooling, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). It aims to equip teachers with the skills, tools, and confidence to design and lead innovative educational STEAM projects that connect schools with their communities.
The programme is highly practical, where participants are introduced to maker education tools such as electric circuits, electronics, block programming with micro:bit, 3D modelling and printing, and multimedia tools for video and sound editing. These competencies will later be applied in real classroom contexts, which will give students hands-on opportunities to become innovators themselves and will allow a connection between professional development and classroom practice. Beyond the training sessions, teachers will also receive support to implement workshops with their students, which support the development of a STEAM product, where students will design, prototype, and share creative projects that respond to real needs in their schools, homes, or communities.
This first course in Oeiras is just the beginning. NUCLIO aims to open new training groups across Portugal during the 2025/26 school year, which will allow more teachers and students to join our STEAM Innovation project. The success of the course so far shows the power of teacher collaboration and the importance of creating a supportive ecosystem where schools, communities, and innovative methodologies come together. As the teachers in Oeiras become Change Makers, the impact goes far beyond the classroom.
