On April 18 and 19, in the Liepaja Municipal Education department Science and Education Innovation Centre (ZIIC), the third and final non-formal education training for pedagogues was organized, which was developed as part of the project “Development of the Innovation Center in Liepaja city”, with the participation of cooperation partners from the University of Liepaja and the Jaermuseet regional museum with the aim of promoting knowledge development and students’ career choice in one of the fields of STEM or environmental sciences.
The program “Ecotechnology for the improvement of the learning process” took place in the co-creation space Nature House, where Liepaja University’s practical workshops where led by Dr. biol. Ieva Roze and natural science laboratory assistant Sintija Ozoliņa, as well as experts from the Jaermuseet regional museum. During the training, the teachers gained an insight into the importance of eco-technology in the future career choice of young people, as well as learned practical skills in outdoor research and the production of composite materials. In the workshops led by the Norwegian partners, ideas were presented on how, using simple resources, it is possible to learn optometry and vision science in an interdisciplinary way. Thanks to the cooperation with “Kurzemes Gaļsaimnieks” within the framework of the master class, cattle eye dissection was also performed, where the skills and knowledge about the structure and functions of the eye were improved under the guidance of Norwegian experts.
In the technology co-creation space in Klāva Ukstiņa Street 17/23, on the first day of the non-formal teacher program “Digital production in education”, the main emphasis was placed on digital production equipment, their application and differences from traditional production. Educators participated in a demonstration led by Liepāja University expert Jupjin Rogier on the use of a laser cutter in the learning process and in a practical master class by ZIIC experts on making a printed circuit board using a computer numerically controlled milling machine (CNC). In addition, the participants also gained an insight into the principles of design thinking. At the end of program, Maija Demitera, an expert from the University of Liepāja, gave an educational lecture “Scientific research work in high school”, emphasizing practical research work and management at the high school level. The second day was followed by master classes in mechanics and electronics, where the Norwegians educated the teachers in an exciting way about the possibilities of integrating raw materials available at home in the educational content, making a car with a propeller and other exciting demonstrations related to mechanics.
On the third day of the Norwegian partners’ visit, we went together to Liepāja 8th secondary school, where, together with Norwegian experts, master classes were organized for 6th – 8th grade students in creating paper rockets, so that they could then try them out in the school yard using a specially created rocket launch device, which operation is based on air pressure.
Non-formal education training programs and workshops for teachers are being developed within the project “Development of the Innovation Centre in Liepaja City” that is funded by the EEA/N grant programme “Research and Education”. Its total cost is EUR 986 049.00, of which EUR 754 327.40 is co-financing of the Norwegian Financial Instrument, EUR 133 116.60 is co-financed by the State budget of Latvia and EUR 98 605.00 by Liepaja City Municipality.
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