Playing with Protons Goes Digital Summer School 2022
3-8 July 2022
By showcasing successful STEAM initiatives across Europe, participants of the Playing with Protons Goes Digital Summer School will then jointly design activities that build on the Open Schooling concept and employ the use of augmented reality (AR) digital technologies, appropriately framed and scaffolded, to foster creativity-enhanced inquiry-based science teaching and learning.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions in school education globally, leaving many teachers struggling to continue offering their students high-quality, exciting and engaging STEAM learning experiences that extend beyond the “school walls” through meaningful collaborations with non-formal and informal science organisations.
In the Playing with Protons Goes Digital project and in this summer school, high emphasis is given on empowering both primary and secondary school teachers to upgrade their digital competences and resilient capacities by providing them with an integrated methodology and toolkit that will allow them to co-design online STEAM resources inspired by cutting-edge science in world’s leading physics laboratories that speak to the digital habits, needs and interests of the Generation Z of school learners.
The objectives of the Playing with Protons Goes Digital summer school are to provide participants the opportunity to:
- Understand the context of creative science teaching methodologies adapted to the “new normal” by taking into account the cultural and environmental parameters that affect science teaching and learning in diverse settings
- Become familiar with and test novel arts-based creative methodologies and innovative ICT tools, such as student friendly AR activities and games
- Learn how to create science learning scenarios inspired by Big Ideas in Physics that align with the curriculum requirements and that the teachers consider to be suitable for local adaptation
- Network with colleagues and peers across Europe to establish collaborative school projects that last the test of time
- Join a European network of excellence in science education comprised of teachers, adult trainers, teacher trainers, scientists and other key stakeholders
- Expand their continuous professional development opportunities
The Playing with Protons Goes Digital summer school addresses science teaching and learning through the optimal use of exciting and student friendly technologies by teachers and educators working with hands-on and minds-on activities, demonstrations and experiments inspired by cutting-edge science in large research infrastructures such as CERN, INFN, adopting a hybrid approach that exploits the best of both remote and in-class teaching and learning.
The Playing with Protons Goes Digital summer school is comprised of carefully crafted sessions that are structured in an integrated and interactive manner. From simple demonstrations that go straight to the point to groupwork and reflection activities, the sessions will allow plenty of room for possibility thinking that is the basis for trial-and-error learning.
This website will act as the main hub of communication with the participants. A common workspace for uploading and downloading educational materials will be created and shared with the participants.
Prior to coming to the summer school, participants will be invited to review some materials relative to the topic of Playing with Protons Goes Digital and the methodologies that will be discussed during the sessions. Some suggested readings to offer inspiration and guidance on some of the key aspects of the summer school will also be provided.
As a follow-up, participants will be encouraged to pilot STEAM activities they worked on during the summer school, share their experiences with their communities, and showcase the results of their work at local, regional and national events and fora. Participants will also become members of the wider Playing with Protons Goes Digital community and they will be interacting with like-minded teachers across Europe.
In recognition and acknowledgement of their dedicated effort during the summer school, all participants will receive a certificate of attendance on completion of the course.
Finally, in order to assess the impact of the course, participants will be invited to complete an evaluation survey that will be provided by the course organisers. The results of this survey will be compiled in a brief report that will be available to all participants after the completion of the course.
The program of the “Playing with Protons Goes Digital” summer school will be announced soon.
Course fee
The course fee for all ESIA Summer Schools is 480€ (80€/per day) and fully within the funding opportunities of the Erasmus+ Programme.
The course fee covers:
- Expert lecturers for lectures, seminars and workshops
- All materials and equipment needed for the course
- Participation in the social programme & excursions (e.g. Sunset and dinner at Cape Sounio, excursion to the Acropolis and visit to the Acropolis Museum and dinner in downtown Athens, traditional night and farewell dinner, etc.)
Subsistence & accommodation
The Summer School will be held at Golden Coast Hotel & Bungalows, an A-class/ 4-star sea-side hotel which stretches on the golden, sandy beach of the Marathon Bay, near the historic location of Marathon, at the outskirts of Athens.
ESIA has made special arrangement with the hotel and are happy to offer to all participants a single or double room with all-inclusive services (i.e. breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks and free of charge services for outdoors sports and recreational activities).
The costs for subsistence are also within the ceilings of the Erasmus+ programme for KA1 mobility actions.
The Summer School will be held at Golden Coast Hotel & Bungalows, an A-class/ 4-star sea-side hotel which stretches on the golden, sandy beach of the Marathon Bay, near the historic location of Marathon, at the outskirts of Athens.
It is the area of Marathon, that has hosted since the times of myths when Theseus killed the terrible bull of Marathon, to the times of the Persian wars and the Battle of Marathon, further on to our days and the marathon race and Marathon Run, the emblematic symbol of man’s quest for freedom and the will to defend his most noble deeds which constitute the foundations of the Human civilization. The plethora of natural, historical sites and museums of the area reveal in all details this unique historical voyage.
Participants are expected to arrive through the Athens International Airport, approximately 25 km (15,53 miles) distance from the hotel.
School Heads and Teachers participation in the summer courses can be funded by the ERASMUS+ Programme.
In case your school or organization does not have the funds to cover the costs of your participation in the Summer School, there is another option: you can apply to be funded by by the ERASMUS+ Programme.
Please note that the Erasmus+ KA1 application can only be submitted by the school or the organization – no individual applications can be submitted.
The deadline for application is 23 February 2022.
What is ERASMUS+?
Erasmus+ is the European Commission’s Programme for education, training, youth, and sport for the period 2021-2027. As an integrated programme, Erasmus+ offers more opportunities for the mobility of learners and staff and cooperation across the education, training, and youth sectors and is easier to access than its predecessors, with simplified funding rules and a structure that aims to streamline the administration of the programme.
Erasmus+ Key Action 1 (KA1) provides a unique opportunity for teachers, headmasters, trainers, and other staff of educational institutions to participate in international training courses in different European countries. Schools, universities, vocational education and training, and adult education organizations are all eligible to receive full funding to attend courses under a KA1 mobility grant. The Erasmus+ KA1 grant covers all the costs to attend teacher training courses: including travel, subsistence, and course fee.
For up-to-date information about Erasmus+ please check the Programme’s website. Your school will need to apply to your country’s National Agency, who is also the one who will evaluate the proposal. Therefore, your National Agency is also a very good point to start for more information.
Don’t forget to go through the the New Programme Guide and you will have all you need to know.
The steps to apply for an Erasmus+ KA1 School Education Staff Mobility grant are:
- Fill in the registration form to our Summer School with your details. This is an individual registration form, so if there are more than one participant from the same school, each one will have to submit a separate registration form. This way you have reserved a slot in the course in case your application for Erasmus+ funding is successful!
- Register your school/organization here: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-esc/index/ , if not already registered.
- Check the compliance with the programme criteria
- Check the financial conditions
- Fill in and submit the application form
- Respect the deadline
- Do not forget to inform us as soon as you get notified from your National Agency whether your grant application is accepted or rejected.
You can find all related information about submitting an Erasmus+ Application HERE.
We will be happy to guide you through the process.