What is the STEM Nation Award?
The STEM Nation Award programme celebrates, promotes and builds effective practice in STEM education within and across sectors. The award framework can be used by settings who are just starting out on their STEM journey to help navigate the dynamic and exciting world of STEM. The framework can also be used by settings with well established STEM programmes to evaluate the impact of STEM in their setting and gain national recognition for this work.
Full details of the application and validation process are included in the guidance documents below.
Please ensure you download and read these documents before starting your application.
The STEM Nation Award elements
The STEM Nation Award consists of five elements.
The STEM Nation Award support page provides a range of resources and signposting to professional learning programmes and partners that will help to support developments across all five STEM Nation Award elements in your setting.
The application process
Settings are advised to complete a self-evaluation of current STEM practice prior to applying for the STEM Nation Award. Education Scotland’s STEM self-evaluation framework will guide you through this process.
There are three simple steps involved in the STEM Nation Award application process:
1. Register for the STEM Nation Award
3. Upload your action plan and take part in the validation conversation
Full details of the validation process and how to apply are available in the STEM Nation Award guidance documents.
STEM Nation Award sample evidence
Previous STEM Nation Award recipients have kindly agreed to share the evidence they submitted. You may find it helpful to review the interesting practice from within your sector or use the exemplar materials to gauge the level of detail required in your own application.
- All STEM Nation Award applications should use the STEM Nation Award PowerPoint evidence template. You may wish to use the notes section to explain the narrative of your setting’s STEM journey.
- Action plans may be submitted using the STEM Nation action plan template or using an alternative format such as a school improvement plan.
Early learning and childcare: Sunflower Family Nurture Centre
Primary: Bowmore Primary School
Please do not hesitate to contact STEM@educationscotland.gov.scot if you would like more information on any of the programmes or initiatives mentioned in these submissions or have questions on the evidence required from your own setting.
Guidance documents and templates
You may wish to download and share the full suite of STEM Nation Award guidance documents (available in English and Gaelic) and templates from our Google Drive folder. Otherwise, each individual document can be accessed below:
The video below also provides an overview of the STEM Nation Award for Gaelic speakers working in GME settings.
Please contact us at STEM@educationscotland.gov.scot if you require any further support with your application.
Our STEM Education Officers and development officer will be happy to assist with any STEM Nation Award enquiries. Further support is available by contacting STEM@educationscotland.gov.scot and stating the name of your setting and the local authority in which you work.
