From Strength to Strength since 1974
The Commonwealth Association of Science, Technology and Mathematics Educators (CASTME) was established in 1974 as an NGO recognized by the Commonwealth Secretariat. It is a member of the Commonwealth Consortium for Education (CCfE). It has a dedicated website https://www.castme.online/.
Additionally, in collaboration with Philip Harris/Findel makes awards, in 2021, the Education Award, the Protect Our Planet Award, and the Community Award.
CASTME has members throughout the Commonwealth, and regional groups in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Europe. It has advisers based in Australia, Canada, India, Malta Mauritius, and Nigeria.
CASTME seeks to encourage networking and links between Commonwealth countries through a network of regional meetings, papers at conferences and its website.
Its aims are to share best practices in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education for all age groups, to demonstrate the relevance of STEM to local environments and to promote the relationship between them.
These aims are met within informal teaching and learning sites and communities as well as those within schools, colleges and universities..
CASTME’s mission in the Commonwealth is to promote the teaching and learning of STEM in a social and locally relevant context and to ensure that access to such learning is universally available. It produces a twice-yearly newsletter to disseminate CASTME activities from around the world and holds a memorial lecture in London biennially in memory of Dennis Chisman, whose vision established CASTME.
CASTME supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG4(Education) and SDG5 (Gender).
One of CASTME’s projects is encouraging mothers and carers of young pre-school children to recognise the everyday science in their lives and point such to children hence increasing science experiences, of both the adults and the children, as well as their communication literacy skills. It is interested in the science inherent in play, particularly in less affluent areas.
The Governance structure of CASTME is as follows:
Chair
Lady Sue Dale Tunnicliffe
Vice-Chairs
Kathleen Nugent
Balasubramanyam Chandramohan
Anoop Singh
Treasurer
Jonathan Ling
Secretary
Margaret Lenton
Committee
Colin Matheson
David Moore
(Further additions to the list will be made in due course)
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Down the memory lane
Captain Richard (Dick) Augustin Twomey (1930-2020)
We are very sorry to announce that Captain Twomey passed away on the 9th of July. He was CASTME’s highly valued partner who shared its vision and organised several activities that helped to take the vision forward in Mauritius and across the Commonwealth.
See CASTME Newsletter, no. 14
Mauritius: BUILDING a FUTURE for our CHILDREN - Synopsis of article by Dick Twomey’
CASTME will support and nurture Captain Twomey’s inspiring work with children. This will be our tribute.
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70th ANNIVERSARY COMMONWEALTH-CASTME CONFERENCE, BELFAST
Mon, Oct 28, 2019 9:00 AM Wed, Oct 30, 2019 5:00 PM
A Commonwealth of Communities of Science: Voice of the Child
Stranmillis College, Belfast
October 28-30, 2019
[Event cancelled — inconvenience regretted]
One of the projects that CASTME supports currently is to encourage mothers and carers of young pre-school children to recognise the everyday science in their lives and point such to children hence increasing science experiences, of both the adults and the children, as well as their communication literacy skills.
CASTME is interested in the science inherent in play, particularly in less affluent areas.
List of Topics
climate change
the environment food justice and
the use of technology.
Submission Guidelines:
Abstracts registration deadline May 1, 2019
Submission deadline June 1, 2019
All papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference. The following paper categories are welcome:
* Full papers describing research concerning the themes and topics of the conference
* Posters describing initiatives undertaken concerning the themes and topics of the conference List of Topics
* The Environment and its impact on the child, education, how to educate for a better environment, education for environmental awareness, action, care, and conservation
* Climate Change and its impact on the child, education, how to educate to mitigate climate change
* Use of Technology and its impact on the child, education, how to educate for safe, wholesome use of technology
* Food justice and its impact on the child, education, how to educate for better food safety, food availability
Local Organising Committee
Dr. Tom McCloughlin
Dr. Shauna McGill
Dr. Cliona Murphy
Invited Speakers (confirmed)
Dr Jaya Naugah (Mauritius)
Dr Sue Dale Tunnicliffe (UK)
Dr Balasubramanyam Chndramohan (UK)
Workshop Facilitators
Dr Richard Greenwood
Dr. Tom McCloughlin - making catapults
Publication
CASTME 2019 proceedings will be published in an electronic book
Venue
The conference will be held in Stranmillis University College, Belfast.
Contact details
All questions about submissions should be emailed to the conference email account castme2019@gmail.com
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Jan 1-Jul 11, 2019
CASTME STEM Challenge at Royal Holloway, University of London
Tue, Jan 1, 2019 10:30 AM Thu, Jul 11, 2019 11:59 PM
CASTME Primary STEM Challenge
Jan-June 2019
For 5-11 year old students to ‘Solve an Everyday Problem using Everyday Materials’
Fostering creativity, scientific awareness and problem solving through a competition open to children in the UK.
CASTME STEM Challenge at Royal Holloway,
University of London
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Solve an Everyday Problem using Everyday Materials!
Are you aged between 5 and 11 years old?
Do you enjoy creating new things?
Then this challenge is for you!
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CASTME is inviting groups of students to solve an everyday problem with everyday materials.
Once created, make a video clip no longer than three minutes which shows your final product and explains how you arrived at your final design.
Email your video clips to Dr Anush Yardim: Anush.Yardim@rhul.ac.uk
Closing Date: 30th April 2019
Schools selected to make their presentations at Royal Holloway will be notified by the end of May
Or, you can post your designs with a written description about your final product and how you arrived at the design.
Post to Dr Anush Yardim, The Shilling Building, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX
.