The Estonian delegation was introduced to the opportunities the centre offers to schools, as well as activities aimed at teachers’ professional development and the enhancement of their competencies. The visitors showed particular interest in the centre’s programmes and practices for students, models of cooperation between schools and the STEAM centre, and initiatives dedicated to teacher qualification improvement.
“We take pride not only in the active daily visits of schools but also in the growing motivation of both students and teachers to base the educational process on STEAM principles. It is especially important that we can nurture young researchers, mentor them, and create conditions for practical, research-based learning in modern laboratories,” says Assoc. Prof. Dr Aelita Bredelytė, Head of the Methodological STEAM Centre.
KU Rector Prof. Dr Artūras Razbadauskas highlights the importance of the STEAM centre: “Today, Klaipeda University STEAM Centre is not only a modern educational space but also a model of regional leadership, bringing together schools, teachers, and students towards a common goal – to educate a curious, creative, and future-ready younger generation. Such international visits confirm that we are moving in the right direction and creating value not only for Lithuania but for the broader educational community.”
The delegation was presented not only with the centre’s modern laboratories, ongoing practical activities, research work, and various educational programmes, but also engaged in discussions on broader issues related to educational support systems, programmes, and organizations in neighbouring countries. The visitors were particularly impressed by the active engagement of students, their curiosity, their ability to apply theoretical knowledge in practice, and the results achieved.
The guests aimed to draw on good practices that could help strengthen schools and leadership among school heads. The meeting also included a mutual exchange of experience – Estonian school leaders presented the educational models applied in their country, discussed shared challenges, and explored potential directions for future cooperation.
“Following this meeting, we see real opportunities for cooperation with Estonian schools in organizing teacher professional development and staff exchanges. It would also be meaningful to create opportunities for Klaipeda University students to undertake teaching practice in Estonian schools and to jointly develop international projects,” states Assoc. Prof. Dr A. Bredelytė.
The visit became an excellent opportunity to strengthen international ties, exchange best practices, and inspire new ideas for the further development of STEAM education.
About the STEAM Centre
The STEAM Centre delivers lessons for school students, projects, and mentorship programmes. It is equipped with modern educational spaces where students and teachers can carry out practical experiments, research, and become familiar with contemporary technologies.
Located on the Klaipeda University campus, the STEAM Centre invites all curious students in Lithuania to explore the fundamentals of science in an innovative way and, through creativity, to test themselves in diverse experiential educational activities (natural sciences, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) across four STEAM laboratory areas: marine sciences, IT-robotics, biology-chemistry, and physics-engineering.
According to Assoc. Prof. Dr A. Bredelytė, Head of the Methodological STEAM Centre, the aim is to further strengthen the quality of the centre’s activities, expand research-based programmes, and increase the involvement of school communities. Speaking about international activities, she notes: “We have partner institutions in many European countries, and their continuously growing network expands both the opportunities and scope of various international initiatives. At the international level, we plan to more actively develop long-term cooperation initiatives with foreign educational institutions.”
