STEM Teacher Education and School Strengthening Activity Project (STESSA) Quarterly Report April 1st through June 30th, 2020

The project aims to improve STEM education in Egypt by providing teacher education and school strengthening activities. During the reporting period of April 1st through June 30th, 2020, STESSA continued to implement its activities despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The project team held six virtual meetings with the Deans of the Faculties of Education (FOE) to discuss the implementation of the undergraduate STEM teacher education program. The Deans confirmed their agreement to house the program in the Special Programs Unit of each university and decided to continue developing the knowledge and skills of faculty members through conducting regular Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) with U.S. experts. The project also supported the development of the STEM undergraduate teacher education framework and draft bylaw based on the STEM Design Principals. The FOE Deans of the five universities and STESSA technical team conducted extensive discussions through a series of virtual meetings, resulting in a final draft of the bylaw that was agreed upon by the Deans and shared with a wider group of faculty members for review and feedback. In addition, STESSA used virtual means to provide faculty members with on-going coaching and mentoring during the reporting period. The faculty members actively participated in virtual PLC sessions, which focused on providing them with technical guidance and training. The project also developed a blended English language training program to improve the skills of faculty members, and a meeting was held with representative professors from Zagazig University to collect feedback and suggestions for the program. The project's Component 2, STEM Schools Strengthening Activity, was seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the STESSA team provided technical guidance and supported the enhancement of STEM strategies, systems, and materials through virtual means. The team conducted virtual meetings with the STEM Unit and local and U.S. experts to discuss topics such as how students would study while schools were closed and how teachers could be trained. The project's progress was assessed, and challenges were identified. The project team adopted alternative approaches to carry out planned activities and ensure that intended deliverables and outcomes were achieved with high quality. The use of technology enabled the project to make remarkable progress in terms of the implementation of planned activities under Components 1 and 2. The project's implementation was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and some activities had to be postponed. However, the project team continued to provide support to faculty members through virtual coaching sessions, PLCs, and other means. The project's progress was assessed, and challenges were identified, but the project team remained committed to achieving its objectives and delivering high-quality results. The project's Component 1, STEM Teacher Education, focused on developing the knowledge and skills of faculty members who teach the STEM Diploma programs. The project provided virtual capacity building sessions to faculty members, including PLCs and CoPs. The project also supported the design of the undergraduate STEM teacher education program framework and drafted its bylaw based on the STEM Design Principals. The project's Component 2, STEM Schools Strengthening Activity, focused on strengthening schools and improving STEM education. The project provided technical guidance and supported the enhancement of STEM strategies, systems, and materials. The project also conducted virtual meetings with the STEM Unit and local and U.S. experts to discuss topics such as how students would study while schools were closed and how teachers could be trained.