Consultant-STEAM EDUCATION APPROACH FOR THE TRAINERS (PARTNERS’ STAFF, TEACHERS AND EDUCATIONAL STAFF)

STROMME FOUNDATION (SF)

COUNTRY OFFICE – NEPAL 

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SANEPA, LALITPUR | KATHMANDU | NEPAL, OFFICE +977 1 5550428

ASIA.STROMMEFOUNDATION.ORG

TOR ON STEAM EDUCATION APPROACH FOR THE TRAINERS (PARTNERS’ STAFF, TEACHERS AND EDUCATIONAL STAFF)

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

Strømme Foundation (SF) was established in 1976 in Kristiansand, Norway. SF is a rights-based development NGO that works towards a vision of a world free from poverty. Our most important interventions in the fight against poverty are education, economic inclusion/ job creation, and a strong civil society. 

SF is fighting poverty. SF works to ensure that all, especially those who are most marginalized, excluded, or discriminated against, have equal rights to economic resources, get their basic needs met, and can live a dignified life. Promoting social justice and ending poverty requires the transformation to a sustainable future. SF wants to contribute to a green economy that is socially inclusive, low-carbon, and resource-efficient.

In line with SF’s Global Strategy and Theory of Change, SF’s program called Building Empowered and Resilient Communities by Strengthening Livelihoods, Inclusion, Education and Food Security (BELIEF) in Nepal in Nepal aims to eradicate poverty by supporting marginalized families to live in dignity through improved access to quality education and increased income generation. 

The Thematic Goal 1 is Children and adolescents from poor and marginalized families can access inclusive, equitable, and quality education. To improve learning outcomes, the program ensures school readiness and provides child-friendly learning environments, SF is adopting a holistic approach, focusing on the basic levels of education and Early Childhood Development centers that provide a strong foundation for targeted children from poor and marginalized families. To ensure that children learn and perform well, teachers in nine secondary schools will be trained on the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) approach. 

Education in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) has gained popularity due to its potential to enhance science learning and broaden participation in technology and science through practical learning approaches. In the era of advanced technology, new skills, and jobs are emerging as we move toward the fourth industrial revolution. To prepare for these future challenges, we need to educate a generation capable of handling them, and STEAM education can help achieve that. This type of education is designed to improve students' understanding of how things work and enhance their use of technologies. It encourages children to think critically, take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process. Integrating all disciplines of STEAM can help develop technical and professional skills to meet the demands and address the challenges of the 21st century. 

The complex problems scientific thinkers face today require 21st-century professionals who can think beyond traditional methods and be creative. Integrating arts and sciences in teaching and learning is essential, making science more effective and enjoyable. Therefore, schools worldwide are incorporating teaching methods that align with STEAM education. Using arts can make explanations easier to understand, learning more enjoyable, and keep students more engaged.

Nepal's government has developed an education sector plan, the School Sector Development Plan (SSDP), covering the period from July 2016 to July 2023. The plan aims to provide inclusive and equitable access, participation, and learning outcomes in various areas, including teacher management and professional development, school governance and management, capacity development, disaster risk reduction, school safety, monitoring and evaluation, examination and accreditation, ICT, and health and nutrition. Despite these plans and policies, there are implementation challenges. Students in rural areas and public schools face issues such as a lack of equipped libraries and computer facilities, inadequate infrastructure, and discrimination, leading to high dropout rates. Although the SSDP aims to improve the basic education system, provide quality education, and expand the role of ICT in education, the targeted schools under the BELIEF program (2024-2028) have not adopted STEAM education approaches. Therefore, a Training of Trainers (ToT) program is planned to develop trained professionals to promote STEAM Education in the targeted and other schools under working Palikas.

The purpose of this Terms of Reference (ToR) is to outline the scope of the trainers in delivering the training to the selected participants on the STEAM Education. 

OBJECTIVES/ EXPECTED RESULTS:

The primary goal of the training is to develop STEAM Education trainers who will promote STEAM education in targeted schools.

Specific Objectives: The participants of the training will be able to;

• Enhance understanding of contemporary school education, progressive and transformative teaching and learning, and models of thinking.
• Increase understanding of the fundamentals of STEAM Education (what, how, and why), including Integrated Education, Productive Pedagogy, and Transversal Skills.
• Improve teacher knowledge and skills in managing a STEAM environment in schools, focusing on innovative classroom management, seating arrangements, and material management.
• Enhance teacher knowledge and skills in STEAM pedagogies, such as art-based, project-based, and inquiry-based learning.
• Improve teacher understanding of the STEAM learning evaluation process.

The expected results of the training are to roll out the below knowledge and skills as trainers on STEAM Education in the targeted schools.

• Acquaint and internalize the purposes and objectives of STEAM education are multifaceted and aim to prepare students for the complexities of the modern world. 
• Promote the Enhancing Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: STEAM education encourages students to think critically and solve problems creatively by integrating science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.
• Foster Creativity and Innovation: By incorporating the arts, STEAM education promotes creativity and innovation, allowing students to express themselves and think outside the box2.
• Develop the Technical and Professional Skills of the Targeted Teachers: STEAM education equips students with the technical skills and professional competencies needed for future careers, particularly in fields that require interdisciplinary knowledge2.
• Promote Experiential Learning: STEAM emphasizes hands-on, experiential learning, which helps students understand and retain complex concepts more effectively.
• Promote Collaboration and Communication: Students in STEAM programs often work in teams, which helps them develop collaboration and communication skills essential for the 21st-century workplace3.
• Develop professionals on Preparing for Future Challenges: STEAM education aims to prepare students for the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution by fostering adaptability and resilience.
• Develop capacities for Integrating Knowledge Across Disciplines: STEAM education breaks down traditional subject barriers, encouraging students to see connections between different fields and holistically apply their knowledge.
• Develop capacities for Making Learning Engaging and Fun: By integrating arts and practical projects, STEAM education makes learning more engaging and enjoyable, which can increase student motivation and participation.
• Create well-rounded, innovative, and capable teachers and students ready to tackle the challenges of the future.

SCOPE OF WORK

The trainer/s will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Develop the training curriculums and references
• Pre-training and post-training assessment of the training participants.
• Collect and share the documents on Benchmarks currently in use by different organizations.
• Review and prepare a set of benchmarks for promoting STEAM Education in the targeted schools.
• Provide agreed training to the selected participants as the resource persons/ trainers (partner NGO staff, teachers, and education department staff of working Palikas) to promote the STEAM education approaches/ process and tools/techniques.

DELIVERABLES

• Technical and financial proposal for conducting training with Training curriculum and materials including training plan and timeline.
• Distribution of the STEAM education-related references/ guidelines to the participants.
• Training completion reports. 

TRAINER QUALIFICATIONS

• Proven experience in STEAM Education, program, and Resource Person training planning and delivery. 
• Proven competency in promoting STEAM Education in the public schools
• Strong understanding of pedagogical theories and practices.
• Ability to design and implement training programs.
• Capacity to develop intensive content for STEAM Education with a menu of tools and techniques.
• Well experienced in delivering participatory training.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

TIMELINE

The entire process, including assessment, training, and post-training support, is expected to be completed within August 2024. 

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL

The interested and qualified consultant/consulting firm must apply by 17:00 hours (COB) dated 10th August 2024 via the Email: sfpostnep@stromme.org  The proposal should include the following documents:

• Letter of expression of interest (EoI) signed by the main applicant.
• A training proposal, including methodology and curriculum and references including the implementation Plan.
• A financial proposal must include an estimate of direct costs related to the consultancy, including travel, hotel, etc.
• Detailed curriculum vitae of the consultant and all team members
• Legal documents of the firm (if applying on behalf of firm/ organization) like Company registration certificate, Latest tax clearance certificate, and firm profile.)
• VAT registration certificate (for both firms and individual consultants).

All terms and conditions will be included in the consultancy contract agreement. SF reserves the right to select or reject any Statement of Work (SoW) with its judgment as well as cancel/terminate at any stage if a situation arises.