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.
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Hover over each icon to learn more about the elements:
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Leadership in STEM
This element celebrates effective leadership at all levels including children and young people leading STEM learning.
STEM family learning
This element recognises commitment to family learning and practice which is helping to build the STEM capital of learners and their families.
Employability and STEM partnership working
This element celebrates sustained collaboration between settings and their STEM partner(s) to develop learners’ STEM and employability skills.
STEM curriculum and learner pathways
This element recognises the work of settings in developing an inspiring STEM curriculum and associated learner pathways.
Equity and equality in STEM
This element celebrates the work settings are undertaking to address the issues of equity and equality in STEM.
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:
- Application guidance (PDF)
- Guidance for validators (PDF)
- Stiùireadh mu bhith a’ dèanamh tagradh (PDF)
- Stiùireadh airson Dearbhaichean (PDF)
- Evidence template (PPT)
- STEM action plan template (DOC)
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.
Your regional STEM Education 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.
