Download the STEM Nation Award guidance documents, evidence template and action plan

Download all STEM Nation Award guidance documents (available in English and Gaelic), evidence template and action plan – link to Google Drive folder

Apply for the STEM Nation Award

Why should we engage with 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 CLD providers 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 CLD providers with well established STEM programmes looking to evaluate the impact of their STEM work with communities and gain national recognition for their achievements.

The STEM Nation Award elements

The STEM Nation Award consists of five elements:

Leadership in STEM
- This element celebrates effective leadership at all levels including children, young people and adult learners leading STEM learning.
STEM learning in the community
- This element recognises commitment to community learning practice which is helping to build STEM capital within local communities.
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 progression routes
- This element recognises the work of agencies in developing an inspiring STEM curriculum and associated learner progression routes.
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 professional learning opportunities that will help to support developments across all five STEM Nation Award elements in your setting.

The application process

There are three simple steps involved in the STEM Nation Award application process:

1. Register for the STEM Nation Award

Registration is a very simple process. You should speak to your head of service before registering. We ask you at this stage to identify which STEM Nation Award elements you wish to apply for. You may choose to apply for all five elements at the same time or work towards achieving the five elements over a period of up to three years.

2. Gather and submit evidence

Your evidence should be submitted using the STEM Nation Award evidence template in PowerPoint format. This allows you to include images, hyperlinks and text in the same document. The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the appropriate permissions have been obtained for any images, audio or video recordings that are included in the evidence submission. Further information on how the content of your evidence submission will be used is included in the evidence upload form. You will receive feedback on your element evidence via your STEM Nation Award record.

3. Take part in the validation conversation

After you have submitted sufficient evidence for all five elements you will be invited to participate in a validation conversation. This will involve a discussion with validators about your future STEM plans and the impact STEM is having on the learners you work with. The discussion should take no longer than 30 minutes and will normally be facilitated via Microsoft Teams. Previous STEM Nation Award applicants have relished the opportunity to share their passion and enthusiasm for STEM with the validation team – this is your chance to celebrate your success!

Full details of the validation process and how to apply are available in the STEM Nation Award guidance documents.

STEM Nation Award settings

The STEM Nation Award programme for early learning and childcare settings and schools was launched in 2019. In 2020, the first cohort of settings achieved the STEM Nation Award as part of the 2019/2020 pilot phase of the programme. You can read more about the successful pilot here.

In 2020, a working group of CLD practitioners developed draft STEM Nation Award guidance for community learning and development agencies. Education Scotland is now pleased to be able to offer the programme to a wider audience and hopes to receive award applications from a wide range of community learning and development agencies in 2021.

Education Scotland wish to extend its thanks to the members of the working group who helped to shape the CLD STEM Nation Award programme:

Avril Morrison, Aberdeenshire Council
Darran Gillon, Paisley YMCA
Craig Green, formerly Glasgow Kelvin College
Dr Margaret Ritchie, University of Glasgow
Margorie Harvie, East Ayrshire Council

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.

STEM Nation Award information for CLD providers