The 21st Century Partnership for STEM Education

Partnering to design and develop ground-breaking STEM/STEAM education in the US and around the world

Our Reach...

4 Countries

32 Universities

400 Faculty

500 Secondary Schools

5000 Teachers

Funding to Support our Work

Over $57M from...

National Science Foundation

US Agency for International Development

US Dept. of Education

Institute of Education Sciences

Private Foundations

















Egyptian STEM Schools Project

2012 - 2017



About the project...

Funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) , the Egyptian STEM Schools Project helped establish cutting-edge public high-schools in Egypt. These Egyptian STEM schools teach a unique project-based curriculum focused on solving Egypt's grand challenges. Starting with two schools in 2011, there are now 14 schools across Egypt using this curriculum. There are plans to increase this to 27 schools in the next few years, with one school in each Egyptian Governorate, decreed by President Sisi, based on the success of the first two pilot schools.


21PSTEM's role...

  • Design and development of curriculum and assessments
  • Professional Development for Teachers, Administrators, and Ministry of Education
  • Development of a web-based platform used to monitor student progress for curriculum learning outcomes
  • Design and support of STEM School system-wide policies and governance
  • Creation of manuals for all components of curriculum, assessment, and professional development in order to enable replication and scale-up of the STEM schools across Egypt


Project-Based Curriculum

The STEM schools teach a project-based curriculum focused on solving Egypt's grand challenges.

Engineering Design Capstone Projects Every Semester

Students develop innovative prototypes, working on projects motivated by Egypt's Grand Challenges - such as the lack of water.

source: USAID Egypt Flickr

Project Impact

Egyptian STEM students are now competing, and winning international science competitions. Some have received patents and honorary degrees...and many are now attending the world's top universities.

These 3 Egyptian Girls are Among the Smartest Teens in the World

Early ISEF winners (2014)

From USAID Frontlines , 2015. Read more

A More Efficient Water Purification System

Intel ISEF 2014: MAADI students show off their design

Let Girls Learn!

Students at Maadi Stem School for girls describe their transformative experiences and how hard they fought to be able to attend the school.

STEM School Profile for University Applicants

Copy of STEM High School for Boys (Final Profile).pdf

A description of the curriculum, student experiences, and student successes at 6 October STEM School.

This document, and those from other STEM schools, are sent to University admissions officers around the world, helping them understand the nature and quality of the STEM schools.

Egyptian STEM school students have been admitted to many of the world's top universities...




Egyptian STEM Teacher Education &

School Strengthening Activity

2018 - 2023



About the project...

The STEM Teacher Education and School Strengthening Activity (STESSA) is a five-year $24.2 million project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Awarded to the 21st Century Partnership for STEM Education (21PSTEM), the project will create new, state-of-the-art undergraduate and graduate-level teacher and principal preparation programs at five Egyptian Universities.

Graduates from these new STEM degree programs will provide teachers and school leaders critical to the ongoing success of the STEM schools created as a result of the Egypt STEM Schools Project (ESSP)

Five universities from Egypt will participate with 21PSTEM to develop these programs. These include Assiut, Ain Shams, Mansoura, and Zagazig Universities, with a fifth to be added. US university partners who will provide expert assistance include Arcadia University, California State University-Fresno, California State University-Bakersfield, California Polytechnic Institute-San Luis Obispo, Drexel University and Temple University.


21PSTEM's role..

Project and technical lead for all aspects of the project including:

  • Post-baccaulareate (5th year) preparation program development and implementation
  • Undergraduate (4 year) STEM teacher program development and implementation
  • Egyptian faculty professional learning communities and professional development
  • Policy guidance to support the success and sustainability of the programs within the university and national governance structures
  • Ongoing support for the STEM high schools scale-up and development

Our Philosophy

K-12 and University-based program development are intertwined



STESSA

Building Relationships Between Institutions for Teacher Development and Student Success


Egyptian Universities

Assiut ... Ain Shams...Mansoura...Zagazig


US Universities

Arcadia, Drexel, Temple,

Virginia Tech, Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo,

CSU-Bakersfield, CSU-Fresno

Assiut

Mansoura

Zagazig

21PSTEM Background Documents

A New Vision Egyptian Model STEM Schoolsv4.pdf

Egyptian Model STEM Schools: A New Vision for 21st Century Advanced Learning

21PSTEM_EgyptSTEMSchoolsDesign_2014.pdf

"Grand Challenges" as the Design Principle For a Trans-Disciplinary Curriculum Developed for Model STEM Schools in Egypt

14 STEM Schools and Counting...

...soon to be 27 schools, with one in each Egyptian Governorate

Alexandria STEM School Opening, 2016

(Source: STEM Alex Facebook cover photo)