Tens of thousands of students and teachers will continue to benefit from STEM Learning’s ENTHUSE Charitable Trust after bp agreed to extend their long-running partnership by contributing a further £260,000 this year.
ENTHUSE provides bursaries for teachers to attend first-class CPD – improving outcomes for them and students. It also funds groups of schools across the UK to improve their STEM education through the ENTHUSE Partnership programme.
The support of bp has been crucial since ENTHUSE was established in 2008, enabling teachers at state-funded UK schools to benefit from the CPD they need and deserve. This includes contributing towards provision in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (where ENTHUSE funded CPD is the only subject specific support currently available), as well as supporting teachers and schools across England.
£200,000 will fund 600 teacher bursaries for our blended CPD – which includes intensive, face to face courses at the National STEM Learning Centre in York – equipping them with the skills to inspire tens of thousands of young people in STEM subjects.
One teacher who has already benefitted from our CPD thanks to bp’s support is Anna Brydges, science lead at Sandringham Primary School in East London.
She said: “I have found the sessions so far a really useful opportunity to learn, reflect and share with other science leaders, and have come away with lots of great ideas for best practice. I‘m already taking these back to school and continuing to develop engaging, high quality science teaching and learning over the course of the programme.”
The company are also committing £60,000 to sponsor three new ENTHUSE Partnerships. Existing ENTHUSE Partnerships supported by bp have already led to more than 20 schools in and around south west London, Tower Hamlets and Aberdeen working together, and together with STEM Learning, improving STEM career aspirations and attainment of their young people while narrowing the attainment gap for disadvantaged students.
In addition, more than 160 bp STEM Ambassadors have participated in almost 300 activities, equating to nearly 2,000 volunteering hours.
Jill Anderson, bp education and employability specialist, said: “Our continued support for ENTHUSE is testimony to the value we recognise in our longstanding partnership with STEM Learning and the importance of high quality CPD for teachers. We are part of society, and supporting the communities we work in really matters to us. This is particularly true in crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Our purpose is reimagining energy for people and our planet. Improving people’s lives is a focus area of our sustainability frame, with set aims, including to support a just energy transition that advances education.
“We want to contribute to sustainable development and are working to do more to support the delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG 4 is the education goal. It aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”
Yvonne Baker, STEM Learning chief executive, said: “We remain hugely grateful to bp for its long-term, valuable support of Project ENTHUSE as well as the in-kind support provided through its STEM Ambassadors. We look forward to continuing this partnership at a time when young people and education need and deserve our support more than ever before.
“Young people’s recovery, educationally and socially, post-Covid will be a huge endeavour. We need to help students, families and the wider community understand better the opportunities that a great STEM education and STEM skills can afford them – through supporting them in STEM Clubs, careers insights and work placements.
“We’re excited by this opportunity to build on and further extend our partnership with bp. Together we will continue to make significant positive impacts on the lives of young people and teachers in the UK– ensuring that more young people can access the world-leading STEM education they need and deserve.”
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