Lift-off for ESERO Slovenia - space for STEM education

ESERO (European Space Education Resource Offices) is ESA’s flagship project in support of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) school-level education. By harnessing the inspirational power of the space theme, ESERO helps and empowers hundreds of thousands of school teachers across Europe to make STEM subjects more engaging and impactful in the classroom. The new ESERO Slovenia is a collaborative initiative between ESA, CŠOD (operating under the Ministry of Education) and Center Noordung (operating under the Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport), who will join forces with other national partners with the shared commitment to enhancing Slovenian students’ knowledge, skills and competences in STEM subjects.  

ESERO Slovenia was inaugurated during a dedicated event hosted by Centre Noordung  at the presence, among others, of Darjo Felda, Slovenian Minister of Education; Matevž Frangež, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport; Tanja Permozer Head of the Slovenian Space Office; Nežika Pavlič Brečko, Director of Center Noordung; Branko Kumer, Director of CŠOD and Monica Talevi, Head of the ESA STEM Learning and Inspiration Unit.

“Education and inspiration are at the core of ESA’s transformation strategy,” said Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s Director General. “We need highly skilled science and engineering graduates to help realise Europe’s space ambitions for the future. The ESERO framework project does just that by aligning education with Europe’s space ambitions and its societal needs – more closely interlinked than ever before – and by contributing to a skilled generation prepared to work and make a difference for society for decades to come. With its bottom-up and country-by-country approach, ESERO is an exemplary model of how impactful the collaboration with our national stakeholders is, and I wish ESERO Slovenia a bright future.” 

“In recent years, efforts in Slovenia at the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Economy, Tourism, and Sport to establish the ESERO Slovenia office and activities have borne fruit,” said Darjo Felda, Minister of Education. “Education is crucial in preparing the future generation of citizens who will be well-informed, capable decision-makers, and responsible actors, equipped to overcome societal and global challenges of the future, regardless of their chosen profession. Due to social changes, technological advancements, and pressing environmental issues, the needs and demands in Slovenia are rapidly evolving. The ESERO project will effectively contribute to a comprehensive transformation of education in Slovenian schools, through systemic changes to curricula, teacher training, and projects aimed at the necessary development and enhancement of the general skills of young people, including science and computer thinking, and the provision of more space-related content.” 

"The decision of Slovenia to join to the ESERO project was made mainly as a response to the repeatedly highlighted challenges of companies, that their growth is hindered by the lack of highly qualified staff in STEM fields, which is key to the development of the space sector. Slovenia is the first of the ESA associate members, that joined this programme. This is very important for us. I see the energy of young people as a real force for positive change, also in the field of Space," said Tanja Permozer, head of the Slovenian Space Office. 

ESERO in Slovenia

Under the leadership of CŠOD in strong partnership with Centre Noordung, and with continuous support of ESA, ESERO Slovenia draws upon its extensive experience in supporting STEM education, scientific and technical expertise, and comprehensive network of educational institutions and schools across Slovenia, to guarantee a big impact of the ESERO activities nationwide. 

In the last months, ESERO Slovenia conducted a thorough study of both the STEM education landscape and the space sector in the country. While performing this task, ESERO Slovenia already held some training sessions related to the ESA interdisciplinary school projects, translated didactic resources from ESA’s “Teach with Space” collection, and organised a local event at Centre Noordung in occasion of the educational in-flight call with ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen on 4 December 2023. Accredited training sessions for teachers and educators from early age to upper secondary form the backbone of the ESERO Slovenia activity portfolio, where cutting-edge space contexts such as Earth Observation and Space Technology will be introduced. Through ESERO Slovenia, didactic materials for different age groups, covering a diversity of STEM curricular topics, will be made available, free of charge, on the ESERO website. In addition, ESERO Slovenia will also offer inspirational events for students and their families such as “Space Adventure” and hackathons, as well as career and role models activities, in collaboration with national space industry and academia, through the “Space goes to School” scheme. 

ESERO in Europe

ESERO is ESA’s framework project to implement activities in support of STEM education – from early age up to secondary school level - across its Member and Associate States. Each ESERO, through its implementation at national level, provides teachers and educators with tailored training programmes, engaging interdisciplinary projects, and space-themed resources aligned with national languages and curricula while benefitting from international best practices. With 18 years of operations, ESERO has boosted teachers’ confidence in STEM teaching across Europe, and increased students’ skills, competences and engagement in STEM by raising their confidence and interest in STEM careers and, in particular, those related to space. ESERO’s role through the Space for Education 2030 programme demonstrates ESA's commitment to STEM education. ESERO’s will in the coming years increase the engagement with students, through the delivery of inspirational experiences such as large-scale, high-engagement events and space careers initiatives.  

With Slovenia joining in, the ESA Education Office now coordinates the ESERO project across 22 countries: 21 ESA Member States and its first Associate State, Slovenia indeed.  

ESERO Slovenia: www.esero.si    

ESERO Network:
www.esa.int/Education/Teachers_Corner/European_Space_Education_Resource_Office 

ESA and the European Space Programme: www.esa.int  

ESA Education Programme: www.esa.int/education