20 new STEM teachers from the ‘Enefit Mission Possible: Save STEM’ programme are starting work in schools

With the start of the new academic year, 20 new science teachers from the ‘Enefit Mission Possible: Save STEM’ programme have begun work in Latvian schools. This is now the third year in which, together with ‘Iespējamā misija’, we have been helping to address the shortage of STEM teachers in Latvia by preparing new professionals for work in schools.

“For participants in the ‘First of September’ programme, this marks not only the start of a new academic year, but also the beginning of a new stage in their professional lives. They arrive at school with knowledge and experience in their respective fields, but learn the teaching profession through practical experience – by learning from pupils, colleagues and mentors. “We want these new teachers not only to teach STEM subjects, but also to help pupils see how the knowledge they acquire in the classroom relates to the real world and their future opportunities,” emphasises programme director Terēze Stālmane.

Before starting work in schools, programme participants spent four weeks at the Summer Academy in Cēsis, where, through intensive training, they learnt the basics of teaching, developed their leadership skills, familiarised themselves with everyday school life and prepared for classroom work. During the Summer Academy, the trainee teachers not only acquired pedagogical skills but also tried their hand at the role of a teacher by leading sessions at a children’s day camp.

The approach of the ‘Enefit Mission Possible: Save STEM’ programme ensures that participants become fully-fledged members of the school team from their very first day, whilst continuing to learn and receiving intensive professional support. This approach enables trainee teachers to immediately put their theoretical knowledge to the test in practice and develop the skills required for working in a modern school.

Programme participants are taking up posts in 18 schools across 10 local authorities, including Riga, Aizkraukle, Mārupe, Jelgava, Līvāni, Ogre, Smiltene and Ventspils. Alongside the new teachers, schools are welcoming not only additional teachers of STEM subjects, but also professionals with experience outside the education sector, who can show pupils the diverse opportunities offered by knowledge in the natural sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Amanda Krišjāne is starting work this autumn at Smiltene District Secondary School, where she will become a maths and computing teacher. By joining the programme, Amanda hopes to draw on her previous experience of working with children and young people to help pupils believe in their own abilities.

“It is human nature to make changes, and I feel that this is the right moment to try something new. It is important to me that every pupil in my class feels heard, because it may turn out that they are the ones with the greatest potential – it’s just that the right approach hasn’t been found yet. First and foremost, I want to be a person, and only then a teacher. And I’ll embrace everything my pupils bring to me on this journey,” says Amanda.

The programme’s aim is not merely to train new teachers, but to develop strong leaders who bring about long-term change in education. This is also borne out by the programme’s statistics – around 80 per cent of ‘Iespējamā misija’ graduates continue to work in the field of education after completing the programme. They become school heads and founders, work in education administration, shape education policy and drive innovation in the private sector, which influences the learning process throughout Latvia.

“Every new STEM teacher who joins a school and is able to spark young people’s interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics makes a significant contribution to a sustainable society and Latvia’s future competitiveness. It is in schools that the next generation of engineers, scientists and data specialists are shaped, who will strengthen the country’s economy in the future,” says Mārtiņš Vancāns, Country manager of Enefit in Latvia.