Introduction 

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics education can help students develop the skills needed to investigate problems, test ideas and understand the world around them. Yet access to practical learning opportunities is not always equal, particularly in communities facing resource and infrastructure challenges regarding inclusive STEM education. 

In the Solomon Islands, a new initiative led by UNESCO and the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD) aims to strengthen access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics learning. The project, titled “Fostering STEM Education in Africa and SIDS”, was officially launched at St Nicholas Anglican College in Honiara on 26 May 2026. 

The launch brought students together to demonstrate science experiments, problem-solving activities and practical ideas. The event highlighted the role of student participation in building confidence and creating more inclusive learning environments. It also placed particular emphasis on expanding opportunities for girls in science and technology. 

The initiative offers an example of how inclusive STEM education can be supported through practical classroom experiences, partnerships and efforts to challenge barriers to participation. 

A New Initiative to Strengthen STEM Learning 

The project aims to improve opportunities for students to engage with STEM subjects through activities that encourage exploration and practical problem-solving. At the launch, student teams presented demonstrations and explained their work to visitors and education representatives. 

These activities gave learners an opportunity to take an active role in communicating scientific ideas. Instead of being limited to receiving information, students could demonstrate what they had explored and explain how their activities worked. 

Practical learning can help make scientific concepts more accessible by connecting them with observation and experimentation. When students investigate a question, test an idea or explain a result, they practise skills that are useful across science and other subjects. 

For schools, these experiences can also reveal how learners respond to different teaching methods. Teachers can observe where students need support, encourage questions and help them connect an activity with the concepts behind it. 

The initiative is part of a wider effort to strengthen inclusive STEM education in participating settings. In the Solomon Islands, the project has particular relevance because schools need opportunities that help students engage meaningfully with science and technology despite differences in access to learning resources. 

Hands-On Activities Encourage Student Participation 

At St Nicholas Anglican College, students took part in demonstrations that involved science experiments, practical ideas and problem-solving. The launch showed how hands-on STEM activities can give learners opportunities to participate, communicate and work with their peers. 

Practical activities do not need to be limited to elaborate equipment or complex projects. Depending on the learning objective, teachers can guide students through observations, simple investigations, design challenges and discussions about everyday problems. The key is to help learners understand the purpose of the activity and reflect on what they observe. 

For example, a science investigation can ask students to predict an outcome, collect observations and explain whether the evidence supports their initial idea. An engineering task can invite teams to design a solution under specific constraints and then assess how well it works. 

These approaches help develop reasoning and communication alongside subject knowledge. They also give students opportunities to learn from mistakes and refine their thinking. 

The launch in Honiara demonstrated the value of giving students space to share their work. Such experiences can contribute to inclusive STEM education when all learners are encouraged to take part, ask questions and explain their ideas, rather than allowing participation to be dominated by a small group. 

Expanding Opportunities for Girls in Science and Technology 

Gender equality is a central part of the initiative. UNESCO reported that girls and boys worked side by side during the launch activities, presenting their ideas and demonstrating what they had learned. 

This participation reflects the project’s intention to challenge stereotypes, broaden opportunities for girls and encourage learning environments in which students can see themselves as capable participants in science and technology. 

Gender-related barriers can influence which subjects students feel encouraged to study and which careers they consider possible. Classroom expectations, limited representation and assumptions about technical ability may affect confidence and participation. 

Schools can help address these barriers by ensuring that girls have meaningful roles in practical tasks, access to learning materials and opportunities to present their work. Teachers can also use examples of women working in scientific and technical fields to broaden students’ understanding of possible career pathways. 

Gender-responsive STEM teaching does not mean separating girls from boys. It means identifying barriers that may prevent some learners from participating fully and designing classroom experiences that give everyone a fair opportunity to contribute. 

In this way, inclusive STEM education can help build confidence while ensuring that students’ interests and abilities, rather than stereotypes, shape their engagement with scientific subjects. 

The Role of Schools and Education Partnerships 

The launch highlighted the importance of cooperation between schools, government education authorities and international partners. UNESCO and MEHRD are working through the project to strengthen STEM learning opportunities in the Solomon Islands. 

Partnerships can help schools exchange experience, identify learning needs and build support for classroom activities. They can also help connect local education priorities with wider approaches to science teaching and gender equality. 

St Nicholas Anglican College was one of three selected pilot schools involved in the project. UNESCO reported that the school community includes around 1,500 students and 80 teachers. For a school of this size, initiatives that encourage practical learning can create opportunities for students to participate in scientific activities and for teachers to strengthen their approaches to classroom instruction. 

The project also received significant support from China, which UNESCO identified as a donor. International cooperation can help bring attention and resources to educational priorities, while implementation needs to remain responsive to local school contexts and student needs. 

For these partnerships to make a lasting difference, schools need opportunities to build on launch events through regular learning experiences. Teachers need to be able to connect activities with curriculum goals, guide student reflection and adapt tasks for learners with different levels of experience. 

Making STEM Learning Relevant to Island Communities 

STEM education can help students investigate issues relevant to their own communities. Learning becomes more meaningful when students can connect scientific ideas with the environment, local infrastructure, health, agriculture or other everyday concerns. 

For island communities, classroom investigations can provide ways to explore topics such as water use, weather, coastal environments and sustainable resource management. The choice of activity should reflect the curriculum, available materials and local priorities rather than assuming that every school faces identical needs. 

Students can develop questions, collect observations and discuss possible explanations. These processes introduce them to scientific thinking while encouraging them to recognise how evidence can inform decisions. 

Relevant activities may also help learners understand the connection between school subjects and future study or employment. However, a single event cannot resolve all the barriers that affect access to science and technology. Consistent teaching support, suitable learning resources and opportunities to continue practising are also important. 

By connecting practical activities with local experiences, schools can support inclusive STEM education that values students’ knowledge and encourages them to investigate the world around them. 

Building More Inclusive Learning Environments 

An inclusive classroom gives students opportunities to participate regardless of gender, background or prior experience. In STEM lessons, this can involve organising collaborative tasks, rotating responsibilities within groups and encouraging learners to explain their reasoning. 

Teachers can also make activities more accessible by giving clear instructions, offering different ways to contribute and allowing time for students to discuss their findings. Assessment can consider the process of investigation, not only whether a student arrives at the expected answer. 

These practices can help students understand that scientific learning involves questioning, testing and revising ideas. They can also reduce the impression that science and technology are suitable only for learners who already feel confident in those subjects. 

The Solomon Islands initiative highlights the importance of creating opportunities for students to demonstrate their abilities. Sustained progress will depend on how the project translates these aims into ongoing school practice and how teachers and education partners continue to support participation. 

Conclusion 

The UNESCO and MEHRD initiative in the Solomon Islands places practical science learning and broader student participation at the centre of its approach. Its launch at St Nicholas Anglican College brought students together to present experiments, solve problems and share ideas. 

The project’s emphasis on opportunities for girls and more inclusive classroom environments is an important part of its aims. Continued activities, teacher support and cooperation between schools and education partners will be necessary to build on the momentum created by the launch. 

By encouraging students to investigate questions, work together and communicate their findings, initiatives such as this can help strengthen inclusive STEM education and make science learning more relevant to young people across the Pacific. 

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