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The project

Space exploration as a way into STEM.

SmartExplorer is a 30-month Erasmus+ cooperation partnership in school education. A space research institute, a teacher-training centre, a science museum and a university from Poland, Greece and Cyprus are building an educational programme for upper secondary schools. In it, students plan and run a simulated space mission and apply what they learn in science and mathematics along the way.

OBJECTIVES

  • 01

    Develop STEM and digital skills

    Show students and teachers how school science is used in space research, and work through the economic, ethical and environmental questions that missions raise.

  • 02

    Strengthen soft skills

    Build teamwork, conflict resolution, critical thinking and decision-making under uncertainty through project work in small groups.

  • 03

    Support teachers

    Give teachers ready-to-use, curriculum-linked materials and training in modern, ICT-based teaching methods.

  • 04

    Open paths into STEM careers

    Show young people, including girls, the range of careers in science, technology and the growing space sector.

  • 05

    Teach sustainability

    Use mission planning to address waste, limited resources, climate change and the ethics of space exploration.

WORK PACKAGES

  1. WP1

    Project management

    Coordination, quality assurance, budget and time control, risk management and four transnational project meetings. Led by CBK PAN.

  2. WP2

    Development of educational materials

    Lesson scenarios for five mission teams, a guide for teachers and educators, calculation tools, simulator guides and 2D/3D multimedia. Led by OEIiZK.

  3. WP3

    Validation and testing in schools

    Training for about 60 teachers, pilot lessons in 8 schools in Poland, Greece and Cyprus, and an evaluation report. Led by CBK PAN with UCY.

  4. WP4

    Dissemination and sustainability

    Seminars for about 300 teachers, articles in teachers' journals, a peer-reviewed scientific paper and presentations at national and international conferences.

PROJECT FACTS

Programme
Erasmus+ KA220-SCH - Cooperation partnerships in school education
Duration
30 months
Start date
2 November 2025
End date
1 May 2028
EU grant
€400,000 (lump sum)
Partners
4 organisations
Countries
Poland, Greece, Cyprus
Coordinator
Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences (CBK PAN)
National Agency
Foundation for the Development of the Education System (FRSE), Poland