Global STEAM

Global STEAM utilizes the resources of IU’s School of Education and Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies to offer programming to cohorts of upper elementary and middle school teachers from schools throughout Indiana.

Global STEAM infuses global perspectives into science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) curricula by bringing together teams of art, ELA, social studies, and STEM teachers to explore connections with the goal of implementing engaging project, problem, and inquiry-based activities with their students. The program utilizes engineering design, literature, and art to engage students in creative and innovative pursuits that emphasize global learning.  Global STEAM programming is  designed to build robust understandings of core disciplinary concepts and advance students’ global competencies. Global competencies include investigating the world, recognizing perspectives of other cultures, communicating with diverse audiences, and takingaction. Career awareness of disciplines that foster creativity and innovation are infused throughout the program such that participating teachers can share Global STEAM career options with their students.

Global STEAM lessons build on the Novel Engineering program developed by the Center for Engineering Education Outreach at Tufts University as an integrated approach to learning STEAM through literacy. In Novel Engineering, students collaborate to design and build solutions for problems presented in youth fiction and non-fiction. Our adaptation of the Novel Engineering program focuses on global issues by using stories from around the world.

This project is funded by the African Studies Program and the Center for the Study of Global Change, supported by Title VI-funded centers at Indiana University.