SLEs at the The CoMuseum Conference
STE(A)M Learning Ecologies took part in this year’s CoMuseum Conference, which marked its 15th anniversary with a powerful theme: “Museums and Hope”. Framed as a moment to reflect on fifteen years of transformative museum practice, the conference invited participants to consider museums as places of connection, imagination, healing and resilience. Against a backdrop of polarisation, rapid technological change and cultural fragmentation, the programme asked what it means to be human and hopeful today. It explored how museums, as stewards of the past and curators of shared futures, can nurture more inclusive and empathetic societies.
Within this forward-looking context, Stephanos Cherouvis (Ecsite) moderated a panel that linked these ambitions to the example of STE(A)M Learning Ecologies and its commitment to developing learning pathways where museums and cultural institutions serve as essential nodes in vibrant educational ecosystems.
The panel brought together voices from across Europe. Silke Krummel (Agency for International Museum Cooperation, Germany) highlighted the strategic role of international collaboration and how museums can circulate knowledge and practices across borders. Liv Ramskjær (Norwegian Museums Association) reflected on national-level networks and the conditions that enable museums to act as long-term educational partners. Azra Bečević Šarenkapa (National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina) spoke about resilience, participation, and the value of keeping cultural spaces open as environments for learning and civic connection. Stelios Voulgaris (Culture for Change / COMM’ON, Greece) added perspectives on advocacy, community-driven initiatives, and the need to position cultural actors as catalysts for wider societal transformation.
Across the discussion, a clear message emerged: when museums, schools, communities, and civic organisations work together, they create learning pathways that are more relevant, engaging and sustainable. This reflects the core ambition of STE(A)M Learning Ecologies and shows how such synergies can strengthen not only science learning, but the broader cultural and social fabric.
