SPARKLE - STEM Practical Activities to Raise Knowledge Learning and Exploration
STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) represent a rapidly growing sector with demand for qualified workers consistently exceeding supply. However, few young people pursue these educational paths, with a particularly marked gender gap. In Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige, the difficulty in finding personnel with STEM skills reaches peaks of 70-90% in key sectors. This phenomenon is linked to choices made as early as middle school, often influenced by stereotypes and distorted perceptions. Italy also records significant gender differences in scientific learning, with the Northeast among the areas with the most evident discrepancies. The SPARKLE project was created precisely to intervene at this crucial stage, introducing students to the STEM world in innovative ways before educational diversification occurs.
The Project
SPARKLE (STEM Practical Activities to Raise Knowledge Learning and Exploration), selected and supported by Fondo per la Repubblica Digitale Impresa Sociale*, offers an innovative approach to stimulate interest in STEM disciplines among second and third-year middle school students in Trentino and Veneto. The project combines the expertise of various centers and units of the Bruno Kessler Foundation: the Research Institute for the Evaluation of Public Policies coordinates and monitors activities, Sensors & Devices develops educational kits with advanced sensors, the Center for Religious Studies and the Augmented Intelligence Center handle ethical and technological aspects, while the Scholars and PhD Program unit manages relationships with schools. SPARKLE also benefits from the collaboration of three external partners: Level Up Srl for laboratory activities, the University of Trento for the pedagogical model, and the University of Verona for addressing gender issues. The training includes practical activities with interactive educational kits, problem-solving challenges, reflections on the conscious use of technologies, and pathways to overcome stereotypes and prejudices. The active involvement of teachers, through dedicated training and co-design, will ensure continuity of the project even after its conclusion.
*The Fondo per la Repubblica Digitale is a partnership between the public and private social sectors (Government and the Association of Foundations and Savings Banks – Acri), which operates within the digitalization objectives outlined in the PNRR and PNC, and is funded by contributions from banking foundations, which receive a tax credit in return. The Fund selects and supports digital training and inclusion projects for various population segments such as NEETs, women, unemployed and inactive individuals, workers at risk of unemployment due to automation, employees, collaborators and volunteers of social economy organizations, and students of lower and upper secondary schools. The objective is to evaluate the impact of the supported training projects and replicate the most effective ones on a larger scale, in order to offer best practices to the Government for use in defining future national policies. For more information: fondorepubblicadigitale.it.
