Cultivating 21st Century Skills in Diverse National and Cultural Contexts
Science centres, science museums, and other informal science learning institutions have a key role to play in helping youth cultivate the 21st century skills needed to address a myriad of complex environmental and societal challenges, at the national and the global level. How do they do this? And how does the specific mix of skills and the approach to cultivating them reflect the varying national priorities and cultural contexts in which different institutions operate? In this session, panelists from Saudi Arabia, Japan, Finland, and Germany will show how their organisations have interpreted, adapted, and integrated the development of 21st century skills into their strategic vision and specific initiatives, in ways that resonate culturally and support national priorities while building broader STEAM communities to tackle global challenges. The session aims to be highly interactive and will explore some stimulating activities in short sprints with the audience.
This session is sponsored by Archimedes Exhibitions as a part of the 21st century skills conference track.
Outcomes: what will participants get from this session? Skills, knowledge, experience etc.
- How cultural context and national vision can serve as a prioritising filter for which particular sets of 21st skills to focus on.
-
How aligning programme initiatives with national vision can pull in partners, focus resources, and guide impact assessment.
-
How specific projects for cultivating 21st Century skills can be localised and adapted to cultural realities and contexts to help achieve desired outcomes and impact.
Session speakers
A science museum - Misk Foundation
Mohammad will present how a planned new initiative in Riyadh will engage audiences throughout Saudi Arabia in building 21st century skills aligned with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. Primary emphasis will be on an innovative digital learning platform that is broad-based, inclusive, and leverages the interests and tech-savviness of Saudi girls and boys to develop creativity and problem-solving skills and build a STEAM community
Mirina will share how Maraikan serves as a bridge between society and ongoing developments in science and technology, connecting citizens with researchers and involving them in discussions toward a better society. Their activities highlight skills such as critical thinking, communication, and global awareness.
Head of Programme Production
Heureka, The Finnish Science Centre
Jutta will focus on strategies and programmes aimed at ensuring that the country’s work force continues to have the STEM knowledge and skills to conduct research and innovation activities aimed at solving national and global challenges. The presentation will give examples of Heureka’s programmes focused on AI, robotics and computing to cultivate 21st century skills among the Centre’s diverse audiences including school children, teachers, teenagers, and adults, and show how these are aligned with efforts to measure and increase national science capital, understanding, and expertise in an increasingly complex world.
Enrichment programs department manager
KING ABDULAZIZ AND HIS COMPANIONS FOUNDATION FOR GIFTEDNESS AND CREATIVITY” MAWHIBA
Adhwa will share Mawhiba's strategies and lesson learned from its activities aimed at inspiring and promoting creativity and science knowledge to help develop 21st century skills in the future leaders. The presentation will give examples of achievements by Mawhiba students and show how these have contributed to tackling challenges at the national and international level.
Stefanie will present examples from their Futures Toolkit, which includes activities that foster critical thinking, design thinking, problem solving, creativity, and other 21st Century skills. Originally developed for implementation in the German school system, these Open Education Resources have proven to have broad applicability. The presentation will show how the Toolkit supports Futuriums vision aimed at fostering dialogue about the future and cultivating the essential skills required to imagine different futures, prepare for change, and shape the future in a conscious and self-determined manner.
During the session, the presenters will also explore some exciting and stimulating activities from the Future Toolkit in short sprints with the audience.
