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Ten Municipalities Receive Support to Strengthen Science and Technology Education

Renovation of subject-specific classrooms, purchase of new materials, and skill development for teachers. These are some of the opportunities made possible by a new grant from the Villum Foundation, which has now awarded funding to ten municipalities across Denmark. The aim is to strengthen the framework for science and technology education for grades 1–6.
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Science and technology education provide the youngest students with their entry point to the natural sciences, but it’s an entry point that is somewhat lacking: Many schools are missing subject-specific classrooms and equipment for teaching. While over a third of science and technology teachers do not have the professional qualifications to teach the subject. 

A new grant from the Villum Foundation aims to address some of these challenges by offering funding to municipalities seeking to create better conditions for science and technology education. Ten municipalities across the country will receive nearly 30 million DKK in total to improve physical facilities and strengthen teachers’ skills and professional community.

Program Director Agi Csonka looks forward to seeing the impact of these funds in schools:

'Science and technology face difficulties in schools. It’s unfortunate, as it’s an incredibly important subject where young children can experience the excitement and relevance of science and technology in their daily lives. With this grant, we want to give teachers the opportunity to build a strong academic culture around the subject, so they can instill in students an understanding of the interplay between science, technology, and society—a perspective that we deeply need.'

New Opportunities

Sønderborg Municipality is one of the grant recipients, and here they have chosen to focus on the municipality's four smallest schools. Teachers and school leaders, in collaboration with Vidensby Sønderborg, discussed their wishes for specialized classrooms, outdoor areas, and toolkits for teachers'. The common goal among the schools is to provide students with more hands-on, inquiry-based learning experiences that engage both their minds and hands. The project therefore focuses on developing inspiring learning environments, purchasing modern equipment, and supporting teachers through a shared scientific skills development program, working closely with Vidensby Sønderborg and UC Syd.

Michael Stender, a teacher and pedagogical consultant, is one of the key figures behind Sønderborg Municipality’s project and is enthusiastic about the opportunities the funding brings:

'With these funds, we can truly accelerate the development of a scientific culture at the four small schools in the municipality—Rinkenæs School and Fynshav, Nybøl, and Lysabild Children’s Universities. Teachers will have the opportunity to become even better educators in science and technology, utilizing the new facilities and resources, and most importantly, we’re creating a foundation for even more students to become excited about science,' says Michael Stender.

The remaining nine grants have gone to the municipalities of Hvidovre, Ringsted, Syddjurs, Hedensted, Aalborg, Kolding, Greve, Morsø, and Randers. In total, over 15,000 students and 300 science and technology teachers will benefit from the funds.

Read about the ten projects here: (only in Danish)