Doodle STEAM
Get ready to dive headfirst into the thrilling world of Doodle STEAM!
This evidence-backed programme takes schools and parents on an adventure through the exciting topics of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM). Over eight weeks, parents and Home School Community Liaison teachers team up to unlock the world of STEAM in a way that’s not just informative but also fun and captivating! The programme is dynamic, rooted in evidence, and expertly crafted to boost parental confidence and engagement with STEAM activities and discussions at home. Fostering young children’s curiosity and hands-on learning is hugely important for their future STEAM engagement and parents play a central role as children’s first role models.
Who can take part in Doodle STEAM and what’s involved?
Parents of curious explorers aged 6 to 8 years old can take part in Doodle STEAM. Sessions focus on showing parents how easy and accessible it is to get stuck in to STEAM activities, breaking down barriers to STEAM participation at home. From whipping up homemade playdough to crafting stethoscopes out of everyday items like kitchen roll tubes and balloons –every week is an unforgettable adventure of hands-on learning!
Who delivers Doodle STEAM?
Doodle STEAM is delivered by Home School Community Liaison teachers (HSCLs), who receive high-quality training. HSCLs are supported with a wealth of materials: a specially developed facilitator’s manual, parent’s handbooks, and a resource-packed online portal. With this range of support, HSCLs are geared up to make every Doodle STEAM session an engaging and transformative experience for parents.
CDI Doodle STEAM Programme Evaluation Report
The CDI Doodle STEAM Programme Evaluation represents a groundbreaking exploration of parental engagement in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) learning. Conducted across seven primary schools during the final term of the 2022/23 school year, this comprehensive study examines the immediate impact of an eight-week intervention and uniquely tracks the programme’s lasting effects six months after completion. Building upon a mid-term evaluation presented to CDI in September 2023, the report offers unprecedented insights into how structured, family-focused STEAM initiatives can transform parental confidence, knowledge, and children’s learning experiences.
How does Doodle Steam work, and What Does Your School Receive?
We will evaluate applications, and up to 14 schools will be selected to partner with us this term.
Participating schools will be provided with:
- Funding (€400) for programme resources
- Comprehensive training for facilitators (e.g., HSCL teachers or School Completion Project workers)
- A Facilitator Handbook with ready-to-use lesson materials and weekly guidance
- A Parent Handbook with step-by-step STEAM activities
- Access to a dedicated Doodle STEAM portal with additional resources
- Support through Communities of Practice for facilitators
- Flexibility in programme delivery
- Practical, ‘hands-on’ course, accessible to parents with language and/or literacy difficulties
In early 2023, seven schools participated in an independent evaluation of Doodle STEAM, which again highlighted increased parental knowledge and confidence in STEAM topics after the programme. By the end of the programme, 94% of parents felt confident in engaging with STEAM with their child, and 98% felt confident in talking about STEAM with their child.
Doodle STEAM took off in three pilot schools in late 2022, and the feedback from our fantastic facilitators and parents has been hugely positive! Parents reported not just learning but having lots of fun, and they’re feeling confident about their newfound STEAM skills. Our facilitators reported really enjoying the programme, noting that parents didn’t want it to end!
“Parental engagement in the programme was excellent due to the easily accessible and fun content. Numbers of parents involved actually grew over the course of the programme as word spread about how much fun we were having. I would highly recommend Doodle STEAM to all schools”
Gaye Healy, HSCL, Sacred Heart Junior School, Dublin 24
Doodle STEAM in Your School
Doodle STEAM is currently being delivered in schools across Dublin 24, North Dublin and Drogheda.
Dublin 24 schools: As funding opportunities for Doodle STEAM arise, CDI informs all DEIS primary schools in Dublin 24.
Greater Dublin and Nationwide: Schools outside of Dublin 24 can implement Doodle STEAM with support from CDI. We offer training, a comprehensive programme manual, ongoing quality support and a dedicated online portal. A funding source should be identified before committing to implementing Doodle STEAM. Doodle STEAM costs up to €500, to cover materials and resources used in the programme across the eight weeks.
Please contact Denise Lakes, Literacy and STEAM Co-ordinator (denise.lakes@cdi.ie) for further details and information on bringing Doodle STEAM to your school.
Denise Lakes: Literacy and STEAM Co-ordinator
+353 1 414 7362 | denise.lakes@cdi.ie
