In an age where education must rise to meet global challenges, the Scientix® Open Doors to Science Award, supported by STEAM Learning Ecologies (SLEs), shines a spotlight on teachers who break down walls between classrooms and communities.
This award celebrates educators who bring science learning to life not only in schools but across informal learning spaces through a spirit of cooperation, inclusion, and innovation.
This year’s award honored three inspiring educators of our community whose projects put the open schooling approach at their heart:
- Alina Marilena Buduleanu (Romania), for “Fuelling our Future – Healthy Food in a Sustainable Community”,
- Bojan Ciric (Serbia), for “Smart Recycling: From Plastic Bottle to 3D Printing”,
- Simona Ghenea (Romania), for “The Buzz of Learning: Beetropolis and the Quest to Save Nature”.
Each of these projects reflects the essence of our project: learning that is inquiry-based, hands-on, and grounded in real-world issues. Through open collaboration with local communities, businesses, and families, these teachers empowered students to tackle real-life challenges from a STEAM perspective.
The Scientix® Awards for Cooperation and Integration recognize that impactful science learning today must go beyond the traditional classroom. Whether it’s transforming waste into learning opportunities, reimagining food systems for sustainability, or building empathy for pollinators through storytelling and design, these awardees have turned learning into action.
The award is more than a celebration, it’s an invitation to reflect on the importance of these approaches and the benefits they bring to our lives.
With support from SLEs and Scientix, these awards remind us: when we open the doors to science, we open doors to possibility for everyone, everywhere.
