STInt launches tenth year of education-industry partnerships

The event welcomed 52 STInt interns and 20 hosts and their representatives to share experiences and opportunities awaiting this year's interns.

Launched in 2016, STInt has steadily grown from a DCU-led initiative into a nationwide programme, supporting early career and pre-service teachers from seven universities across Ireland. Interns are placed with leading organisations in technology, financial services, medtech, bioeconomy, pharmaceuticals and other sectors. The goal is simple: to  provide primary and second level teachers with professional learning experiences in STEM environments so they can bring their insights from the world of work into their classrooms. To date, STInt has supported 372 teachers to complete internships across 70 host companies, with a potential impact on over 1.5 million students throughout their teaching careers.
 

Dr. Eilish McLoughlin, STInt Director, welcomed interns and hosts, and reflected on how the programme has evolved over the past decade and its significant and sustained impact on STEM education in Irish schools. She spoke about the importance of providing immersive learning experiences for teachers in equipping teachers to design innovative STEM learning experiences in classrooms based on real world contexts. 

Professor Blánaid White, Dean of DCU Faculty of Science and Health, offered a powerful reminder of the programme’s impact through a personal story involving her ten-year-old daughter and her friends. The girls were full of excitement about how their teacher (a STInt alum) had talked to them about becoming engineers or anything they set their minds to.This story highlights the influence that STInt has on informing young minds of the diverse range of STEM roles and careers.

Ms. Gabriele Spiridaviciute, a previous intern, spoke passionately about her own STInt journey. She observed that very few people she met during her internship had followed the so-called “traditional” path to their careers. That insight has changed how she thinks about teaching. Gabriele has since built a connection between her school and her host company, Fidelity Investments, thus opening the door to lots of new opportunities. She also spoke about the benefits of the programme in developing transversal skills and how this experience has boosted her confidence and communication skills.

Mr. Charlie Dolan of VLE Therapeutics reflected on DCU’s long-standing tradition of linking education and industry. He highlighted the lasting influence teachers have on students, describing them as one of the most powerful forces shaping Ireland’s future workforce. He noted that, in his experience of working in HR over many years, the majority of people who work in science did so because they were influenced by their science teacher. His message provided strong affirmation of the impact that the STInt programmes can have, not just on participating teachers but on the future of STEM in Ireland.

Professor Anne Looney, Dean of DCU Institute of Education, brought the event to a close by speaking about “The Spark” – the unique and lasting impression that great teachers leave. She reminded attendees that students may not remember every detail of a lesson, but they always remember the teacher who inspired them. In uncertain times, she said, teachers act as a Polaris, a guiding light helping young people to find their way and reach their potential.

More information about the STInt programme can be found here.