In this episode of the EPI·STEM podcast, Geraldine SimmiePhD and Michelle Starr PhD welcome Samuel Brzyskiewicz as their special guest. Samuel recently joined our research centre as the Research Coordinator leading our online EPI·STEMACADEMY OF STEM TEACHERS. The funding for the role was provided by the research office in the University of Limerick (UL). Samuel is a UL graduate who completed his undergraduate studies in physics and chemistry teacher education. Samuel is in the final stage of his PhD in the School of Education, in digital literacy, an educational research study supervised by Professor Oliver Mc Garr and AssociateProfessor Rachel Lenihan.

Here we discuss the origins and our future oriented visionfor the online EPI·STEM ACADEMY OF STEM TEACHERS. We want the online platform to contribute to STEM teachers’ upskilling in knowledge and their Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The platform offers STEM teachers, acrossscience, mathematics, engineering and technology access to research-led CPD resources that are aligned with the national curriculum, readily adaptable for classroom use and with capacity to reach across the curriculum to STEM and STEAM education. Putting the arts, ethics and aesthetics into STEM education can provide teachers with powerful pedagogical resources that support scientific thinking and at the same time work toward wellbeing and sustainability.

After we secure the online EPI·STEM ACADEMY OF STEM TEACHERS as a resource hub we will work with interested teachers to develop an online community of practice and find productive ways to support summer schools in UL. We continue to work closely with STEM education researchers and EPI·STEMaffiliates in UL and with teacher voluntary and professional bodies in Ireland. We are also working with local enterprises to design research-led CPD resources that reflect a school-university-enterprise approach to STEM education. Forexample, we are currently designing research-led CPD resources with the local enterprise SEROSEP, a Limerick based enterprise making high quality diagnostics for biochemical use, such as highly specialist water testing kits for local government. This resource readily links to an application of science in a realworld setting and to civil engagement and sustainability. It has relevance today given that the recent report from the Environmental Protection Agency revealed that over 50% of our national waterways need improved water quality.

The musical selection today is The Boyne Water, an arrangement by Martin Hayes and The Common Ground Ensemble played on fiddle by Eilidh Pope, an instrumentalist, composer and student in the BA in World Music in The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Limerick.