Throughout the project, participants explored how science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics can be used to better understand and care for the environment. By combining coding, robotics, gardening, sustainability practices, renewable sources of energy models and creative problem-solving, the project empowered young learners to become active eco-innovators within their communities.

A central element of the project was the delivery of engaging STEM lessons that introduced participants to coding concepts, robotics, environmental science, and sustainable growing practices. Learners worked collaboratively to design and programme EcoBots (Microbits, Photon robotos sphero Robots, solar powered machines and models), while also discovering how technology can support greener living and environmental awareness. The sessions encouraged curiosity, experimentation, teamwork, and critical thinking, helping students build both technical and life skills in an enjoyable and meaningful way.

Alongside the STEAM learning activities, the project developed a thriving garden showcase that became a living example of sustainability in action. Participants planted, nurtured, and monitored the garden space while learning about biodiversity, healthy ecosystems, composting, and sustainable food production. The garden evolved into an inspiring educational environment where science and nature came together, allowing children to connect classroom learning with real-world environmental stewardship. The crops from the garden were also donated to a NGO: Fondazzjoni Nazzareth.

The project culminated in a vibrant 3-day Community Day celebration, which brought together families, educators, community members, and stakeholders to celebrate the achievements of the young EcoBot Explorers. During the event, participants took part in various STEAM workshops and proudly showcased their coding projects, robotics creations, and garden achievements through demonstrations, interactive displays, and collaborative activities. The Community Days highlighted the importance of community involvement in STEAM education and sustainability initiatives, while creating opportunities for shared learning and inspiration across generations.

An important legacy of the project will be the sharing of the educational lesson resources developed throughout the programme. These STEM lesson materials and activity resources will be made available to educators, supporting the continued promotion of innovative, sustainability-focused STEAM learning beyond the lifetime of the project. By providing accessible resources for schools and educators, the project aims to inspire future learners and encourage wider adoption of hands-on environmental STEAM education practices.

The success of EcoBot Explorers: Coding, Creating & Growing a Greener Future demonstrates the powerful impact of combining STEM education with environmental responsibility and community collaboration. The project has not only equipped participants with valuable technical and problem-solving skills, but also fostered a deeper appreciation for sustainability, teamwork, and active citizenship. A special thanks goes to the founder and project leader of the project, Sacred Heart Junior’s school STEM teacher -Mrs Chantelle Bartolo Cremona.

This project is part-financed by the National STEM Community Fund of Xjenza Malta, under whose remit operates the Esplora Interactive Science Centre, on behalf of the National STEM Engagement Working Group.

Resources for educators

Coding with Sphero Robots: Navigating an obstacle course, mixing primary colours, creating a food chain.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15GYDa08S6o0mpxYLtW5v0Tph2a8R2fXv/view?usp=sharing

Coding with microbits- Monitoring soil moisture and temperature

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_Tr8rBwMfHWf45UvGwRO1vYC1Lnhzf8c/view?usp=sharing

Building solar powered models             

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10sVfGAPxIGq9HbxwfpSPi-Iyn26SgI5E?usp=sharing

Building a greenhouse

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lQuN2GTvfEjF7e4stOf9ZG38u2u0aSNk/view?usp=sharing

Coding Lessons with Photon

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ICKH8ErgZmsmc6UEmj7CsuEeEn-txfNq?usp=sharing

Gardening, germination, plant life cycle and biodiversity

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11-cwXCo2T9ob0XernR7Nkzv9AkATOgWi?usp=drive_link

The 5 R’s including water filtration and distillation

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AfU9FtSQnF-HzIsrgq9-1K8uOC-VroGC?usp=sharing

Last week concluded the after-school programme-“Power up your digital skills: Hands on with Robotics!”, attended by sixty students from Years 5, 6, and 7. The initiative sought to bolster digital literacy and innovation in these young learners through the practical application of robot programming.

This initiative could not have materialised without the generosity and collaboration of St Michael Schol Sta Venera and St Paul’s Missionary College Rabat, which opened their computer labs and resources to this programme.

The programme, designed by Mr Reuben Borg, Head of Department for Computing and ICT at the SfCE, and implemented by four dedicated tutors, went beyond basic computer literacy, focusing on 21st-century transversal skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration. Students in fact engaged with block programming, digital word processing, and presentation skills within a project based approach with a problem-solving methodology which all students found  engaging and meaningful.

A primary goal of this collaboration was to foster ethical and responsible citizenship while advocating for accessibility and inclusion in the digital age. Both the SfCE and MDIA have expressed a mutual commitment to addressing the human implications of digital change, including privacy rights, dignity, and well-being. Notably, the programme took proactive steps to encouraging participation by girls by ensuring that an equal ratio of boys to girls were selected at registration phase.

During the last session, in addition to student presentations, parents attended an informative talk by the MDIA on online safety. The session offered researched, practical tips for maintaining a healthy digital balance, emphasizing the importance of relationships of trust and responsible oversight within the family structure. During the certificate presentation, each student identified the gap in their digital competence that was addressed by the sessions- these ranged from file management to presentation skills and some even mastered refined programming skills.

SFCE wishes to thank MDIA for its financial support but moreover for the strong collaborative and collegial spirit that made this project possible and for supporting the educational aims of the programme.

Professional Development training on digital financial literacy was delivered to PSCD primary and secondary church school teachers by Anamaria Magri Pantea from AscendConsulting.EU, with financial support from Malta Digital Innovation Authority. The aim is to upskill teachers for a digital financial future in order to expose all students not only those who choose the  Accounts or Economics option.

The session covered topics on the use of digital tools for budgeting, tracking expenses, saving, and investing. It also outlined the opportunities and risks created by digital platforms and social media for managing personal finances. Emotional regulation was emphasized as essential for making financial decisions. Discussions encouraged more awareness of the impact of online influencers and the importance of critical thinking when evaluating money advice. Finally, strategies were mentioned for building resilience against financial scams, phishing, and modern digital risks such as gambling, gaming, and social pressure–driven spending. Teachers were engaged in case studies and sharing of lesson plans with related  budgeting learning outcomes.

Claire Marie Vassallo, Head of Department for Assessment, presented her ongoing research, AI-Enhanced Formative Reporting: Transforming Early Years Teaching and Assessment in Maltese Schools, at the Institute for Education International Conference held between 27 and 29 November 2025. Centred on the conference theme Inspire, Foster, Educate: Global Research in Education Today, her presentation showcased key findings from a two-year action research study conducted in a Maltese Church school. The study demonstrates how AI-supported narrative reporting can strengthen formative assessment practices, enhance teacher agency,  home–school collaboration and significantly improve efficiency by reducing the time and workload traditionally associated with report writing. This research will be published in July 2026 in the Malta Journal of Education, contributing to national and international discourse on innovative, evidence-based reporting practices in early years education.

The subject of Environmental Studies is dynamic and critically important—it’s about the interconnectedness of History, Geography and Social Studies-based themes with a larger focus on the Maltese archipelago. Topics covered by the SEC 13 syllabus include our climate, geology, resources, economy, culture and society right here in the Maltese Islands and globally. However, navigating a comprehensive, outcome-based syllabus can be challenging, both for students preparing for the exam and for teachers striving to ensure all required content is covered effectively. This publication is not simply a collection of general notes, but a strategically structured resource built to mirror the syllabus document precisely. The entire e-book is organised around each individual Assessment Criterion (AC) listed in the official SEC 13 Environmental Studies syllabus. This meticulous organisation ensures:

• For Students: You can target your studying with surgical precision. Instead of wondering “What exactly do I need to know about water pollution?”, you will find clear, concise content directly addressing criteria such as 12.3q (“Describe the opportunities offered by the European Union to young people”) or 4.2c (related to soil as a natural resource), as detailed in the syllabus. This approach eliminates guesswork and maximizes study efficiency.
• For Teachers: You gain an invaluable tool for planning and delivery. You can confidently assign reading material knowing it directly correlates to the exact required content, making lesson preparation, homework assignment, and topic revision more targeted and efficient.

Whether you are mastering the complexities of tectonic activity, understanding the implications of waste management, or identifying the opportunities offered by the European Union, this e-book breaks down the entire syllabus into manageable, criterion-specific sections.

As a commitment to Malta’s student and teacher community, the SEC 13 Environmental Studies Notes e-book is available to everyone free of charge. Kindly click here to download the e-book. My hope is that this resource will alleviate some of the pressure of exam preparation and empower every student to approach the SEC 13 paper with confidence and a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Furthermore, this publication aims to foster a deeper appreciation of the archipelago’s geology, cultural richness, and heritage. It is my hope that students will be inspired to cultivate a lasting interest in environmental stewardship and the unique legacy of Maltese heritage beyond their academic journey. I wish all students the very best in their preparation and success in their SEC 13 examination.

Dr Keith Buhagiar

Head of Department for Environmental Studies and Geography

Secretariat for Catholic Education

On 11 March, at the Valletta Design Cluster, Church School teachers of French, led by their Head of Department at the Secretariat for Catholic Education, Ms Prescovia Deidun, followed Continuous Professional Development training involving two interventions by UM academics. Dr Anne-Marie Bezzina Busuttil, Head of the Department of French at the Faculty of Arts, gave a corpus-based presentation explaining how teachers’ questioning strategies influence or even pre-define learner responses in whole-class foreign language interactional exchanges, leading to suggestions for effective foreign language classroom elicitation.

This fed into a workshop on questioning strategies, prepared and coordinated by Ms Anna Scicluna, Coordinator of the French subject area within the Department of Languages and Humanities of the Faculty of Education. In this workshop, Ms Scicluna illustrated model practice and stimulated participant teachers to balance and correctly sequence display and referential questions, also by using probing questions that induce learners to produce longer, more elaborate and more cognitively demanding utterances.

Source: UM Lecturers give CPD training to Church School Teachers of French – Newspoint – University of Malta

The focus of the session was on integrating fundamental movement skills with volleyball techniques and physical literacy. This holistic approach ensures that young learners build confidence in their abilities while enjoying the game. A key highlight of the event was the use of adapted games with structured progressions.

The enthusiasm and engagement of the participating teachers were evident throughout the event. Many expressed appreciation for the practical ideas and hands-on experience, which they could readily apply in their own schools.

Click here to view the video!