The Commonwealth Association of Science, Technology and Mathematics Educators (CASTME[1], Established 1974) is recognized by the Commonwealth Secretariat, London, as a member of the Commonwealth Council for Education (CCfE).
Currently, CASTME has members throughout the Commonwealth, and regional groups in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Europe. It has advisers based in Australia, India, Mauritius and Antigua and Barbuda.
Mission: 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.
Aims: CASTME seeks to encourage networking and links between Commonwealth countries through a network of regional meetings, papers at conferences and its website.
It has the following aims to be met within informal teaching and learning sites and communities as well as those within schools, colleges and universities.
· 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
Mainstay activities
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. It runs CASTME Award Scheme
Current Focus
· 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
· Enhancing communication literacy skills in STEM areas.
· Making science inherent in play, particularly in less affluent areas
[1] https://www.castme.online/about
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